Times Like These
by YoungandNaiveStill
Summary: I am a little divided. Do I stay or run away and leave it all behind? It's times like these you learn to live again. It's times like these you give and give again. It's times like these you learn to love again. It's times like these time and time again. Sequel to Everlong. Future.
1. can we pretend that airplanes

_A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! This is the sequel to Everlong, I'm really excited for you all to read it. It's a lot more angst ridden, there will be more mature themes, and it is set in the future with random flashbacks to explain the events leading up to this point. Some of the chapters will be shorter than others, sorry keeping it real, sometimes our brains shorten memories as time goes by. Review and let me know if you like it. And thanks for everyone who has given me positive comments about wanting to read this story—this one's for you _

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not_ _the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have I ever met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to B.O.B. and Hayley Williams, Filter, Bruno Mars, and the Foo Fighters for the title._

_Rating: M for language and themes_

* * *

**Times Like These**

1: Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?

_Awake on my airplane,_  
_ Awake on my airplane_  
_ I feel so real_

_Could you take my picture?_  
_Cause I won't remember_  
_Could you take my picture?_  
_Cause I won't remember_

_-Take a Picture, Filter_

He shut his eyes tightly, shifting back and forth on the reclined leather seat, but sleep would not come. He really didn't want to pop an Ambien, they made him feel like shit the next day, but he doubted he'd get any sleep otherwise. He needed something. He had eleven hours of a flight to kill until he finally touched back down in LA.

Home. It would be nice to finally get to stay there for a while. He hardly knew the meaning of the word anymore. He'd been back and forth for award shows and premieres and whatnot, but he'd lived a nomad's life for the past few years and had not stayed in one place for more than a week at a time. He couldn't wait to throw away his ratty suitcase, glad to finally be rid of it for now. He loved travelling the world, but they were all getting a much-needed break now that the tour was over. He was looking forward to sleeping in his bed, driving his car, doing mundane things like going grocery shopping and working out at the gym. Shit, he would even relish sitting in traffic on the 101. That's how he knew he really missed LA.

He looked over at his brother who was already sound asleep in the seat next to him. In fact, his entire family was already off in slumber land, where he should be, and they'd just taken off. It was unfair. He wished it could be that easy.

He should be just like them, but once again, he was the anomaly. Always. He was exhausted, too, which was the irony of it all. They'd done a huge amount of promotional shows and appearances to support an upcoming documentary that had been made about their tour. The whirlwind past few days had caught up and he just wanted some sleep, but it still would not come. His life. He had felt dead on his feet just as they were getting on the plane, but now he was wide awake.

Of course.

He told himself it had nothing to do with the stupid tabloid bullshit he read on one of the useless websites he'd just happened to see Rydel reading earlier. So what if _her_ boyfriend had been seen in a jewelry store. That could mean anything.

They'd never gotten as serious as her new relationship purportedly was, their relationship flaming out in a fantastic explosive fashion in a way that only teenage relationships could. And like most teenage love stories, their egos had been too bruised, too damaged for them to ever find a way to forgive each other and find each other again. They were too young, too dumb. That was the problem.

One that he still was not willing to address to anyone who even wondered what had become of the cute Disney Channel couple who had once dated while they worked together side by side. Austin and Ally didn't make it, their partnership not built for forever. End of story.

The people closest to him knew to shield him from any news or info about her. He simply did not talk about her ever. The wounds were still too raw and fresh for him to bear, even though it had been years since they'd been together. And even though they sometimes still were linked to each other, through group email correspondence alerting the collective gang of a new marriage or new baby or some other milestone, it was just for courtesy purposes. At least from his standpoint. Because as far as he was concerned, pretending that she no longer existed made it easier for him to go on and ignore the way his heart shattered again every time he thought about her.

But he did still think about her. Often. If he had to be truthful, he had to admit that he was lying to himself about trying to forget her.

It was nights like this, when the world around him was asleep, she would infiltrate his being, like a ghost out to settle a score with him. She permeated his thoughts, drowning him in memories. If he lay real still, his eyes clenched tight, he could even imagine the scent of her hair and her skin, and then that thought would make his insides ache until he was almost crying. But he did not shed any tears, the ducts had dried up for her long ago. All he was capable of doing was to sit and numbly stare at his phone, at her contact information, like he was doing now. That was all he had left of her.

He'd long ago deleted all her texts. All of the angry words and disappointment that she had once directed towards him. All the reminders of how he had failed her and himself.

If he were really feeling self-loathing, he'd spend the wee hours of the morning torturing himself by searching through their old pictures or watching old episodes of their show. The internet would always be the gatekeeper of his memories, and his fans similarly wouldn't let him forget. To many he would always be Austin, and she'd always be his Ally.

But they were singularly Ross and Laura. God, they had been stupid kids to think that this could be their happy ending. How many 18-year-olds ended up with each other? Instead, they became another lost teenage romance, drowned in a sea of what ifs and never was.

He was especially haunted by all of the good memories. The little private moments, the kisses, the declarations of love, the happy times. Sometimes a fleeting picture of a random, trivial moment they shared would pop into his head and leave him reeling. Those were the memories that cut the deepest, as they served as further reminder of what he was missing. He was always so stricken by the fact that everything was always so vivid, as if the moment had just happened; that his mind could not let go, even though he knew it was his heart that had the photographic memory.

Sometimes when he lay there alone at night, he thought about how fucked up it was she probably wasn't doing the same. She wasn't obsessing over him, wondering if he was thinking of her. She had moved on, and clearly he had not. She'd created a new life with someone else, someone to come home to and with whom to spend her nights. He spent his evenings with visions of a future with her that would never come to fruition. Those thoughts alone kept him up all night wondering how many more sleepless nights would he have to endure? What would it take for him to achieve absolution, for his heart to allow him to finally forget about her?

If he did get rest, it was fitful, taking him into a dream world where they both lived, forever their 18-year-old selves, forever happy and in love and perfect. Sometimes he thought the insomnia was better. Without sleep, he didn't have to wake up and face the moment where he would be jolted back to the reality in which he and Laura did not exist. It was a never-ending cycle in which he was afraid he'd never be able to escape.

Maybe it was just better not to give into sleep.

* * *

A/N: Do you like it, hate it? What you were expecting? Leave me a note! And next chapter is actually one of my favorites I've ever written:)


	2. these things, they go away

_A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback and follows! I didn't know what the internet situation would be like when I'm out of town, so I kind of couldn't wait to post this. This chapter is probably one of my favorite things I've ever written, just because it captures a normal, cute little life moment, and I don't usually write fluffy things like that. This chapter is a flashback to teenage Raura. It'll be a little while before I can update again, but hopefully the cuteness will tide you over until then. Enjoy and tell me how much you liked it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not_ _the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have I ever met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to R.E.M. I do not own Game of Thrones._

_Rating: M for language and themes_

* * *

**_Times Like These_**

2: these things, they go away, replaced by everyday

_Nightswimming deserves a quiet night_  
_I'm not sure all these people understand_  
_It's not like years ago,_  
_The fear of getting caught,_  
_Of recklessness and water_

_-Nightswimming, R.E.M._

He looked out the window to see her timidly put her toe in the water. She jerked back quickly, the frigid water surprising her. The look on her face was classic scared Laura. He had to laugh.

She must have heard him because she whipped her head around and placed her hands on her hips, staring right at him.

"Are you going to join me, or are you just going to stand there?"

He watched as she peeled off her tank top and jeans, folding everything neatly and placing the articles of clothing carefully on the pool loungers. She wore a matching purple bra and boy short underwear set, claiming that this covered as much if not more than her swimsuit did. He honestly didn't care what the justification was, his mouth just gaped at the way her ass looked, so perfectly hugged in that very thin lacy piece of fabric.

It was like, damn.

He had no idea how he had convinced his girlfriend to go swimming with him without her swimsuit, but he thought it might be his best idea ever.

Girlfriend.

He fucking loved the sound of that.

He was so incredibly high from the feeling she gave him; he couldn't believe they were really together. It was insane. He could have never imagined how fucking unbelievable happy he was all the time. He woke up with a smile on his face, he went to bed with a smile on his face. This had been the best summer of his life. It had only been a few short weeks since he'd taken her to the prom, and they'd been inseparable since. He'd spent as much time with her as possible between his constant touring schedule and her photoshoots and events. Even though he was exhausted all the time, it was totally worth it.

They had to get in as much time as they could since he was leaving for Puerto Rico to shoot Teen Beach Movie 2 in a few short weeks. He didn't even want to think about being away from her for the 6 weeks he'd be there, but she'd already planned a trip to visit him, at the hesitancy of her parents, who finally agreed once Vanessa had volunteered to chaperone her. At least he had that to look forward to, but it felt like it would be forever until then. So he had to enjoy this while he had the chance.

She was right, her underwear covered up more than her bikini typically did, but damn it if she didn't look so much hotter in this. Maybe it was the moonlight, maybe it was because they were finally alone, but she looked so unbelievably sexy to him at that moment. She jumped in with a splash, as he ran out to join her.

She splashed him, "Come in, the water's great."

He gave her a wide grin and run into a cannonball. He emerged, shaking his hair and spraying her with water.

"Ross!" she held her hand out to shield herself.

He dove towards her, but she slipped underwater, reappearing at the other length of the pool in seconds. He raced after her, and being the expert swimmer he was, he caught up to her easily. She kicked out of his reach, and rose to the surface, but he had her cornered against the wall. He grabbed ahold of her leg and slipped right up to her, pressing his body against hers.

"Gotcha."

She pushed his head underwater.

"Hey!" he yelped, shaking his wet locks in her face.

Her eyes shone, the reflection of the water rippling sparkles into her dilated pupils. "Hey yourself." Their faces were close, their breath ragged from the impromptu race.

He touched her cheek slowly with his hand and her eyes closed, the look on her face of pure ecstasy. He wanted to remember this forever. He tucked a strand of her wet hair behind her ear, then slowly leaned his cheek in, until both their cheeks were touching. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he enveloped his around her tiny body, like all of the countless hugs they'd shared in the past. He felt her deep quick breaths tickle his ear. She was nervous. He liked that he still made a shiver go up her spine.

With the slightest of movements, he shifted so that his lips just grazed hers. The pressure was delicate, soft, but increased as her mouth opened to let his tongue gain entrance. He couldn't even process what was happening as his tongue and hers danced a slow tango. Their kiss deepened quickly and even though he didn't want to break, his lungs won the battle for a breath. He reluctantly separated them, his hands still cupping her face, as both of their chests rose and fell heavily.

She closed in for another kiss, starting to move them towards the sidewall of the pool. He felt the back of her legs hit the edge as she repositioned herself on the bottom step, without breaking their kiss. This gave her a slight height advantage over him, but he didn't mind. He tilted his chin up towards her, as she feathered light kisses over his cheek and jaw.

He fisted his hands in her hair bringing her lips back to his as she slightly nipped at her lower lip. He felt her tongue slide over his teeth to find his again and he sighed in content.

"Wow," she breathed, flopping herself backwards to sit on the middle step.

God help him.

"What time does the movie end?" she asked, out of breath.

He groaned. "Probably soon."

His entire family had left to go to the movies, leaving the two alone, which in his mind was not a great parenting idea on Mark and Stormie's part, but who was he to judge? He was sure it was because they knew Laura was responsible, and even left to their own devices, the two of them wouldn't be having sex in the two hours the family was gone. They were right.

"I'm starting to get all pruny," she declared as she climbed out of the pool. He tried to not let his eyes wander to the water dripping off her backside, but it wasn't working. He followed suit and grabbed two towels, wrapping one around himself, then wrapping the other around her. She shivered and he ran his hands down her arms a few times.

She licked her lips, and shook out her soaking wet hair.

"You're so pretty," he commented.

"Aww, you're not so bad yourself, handsome," she returned, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck. His lips quickly found the skin of her neck, gingerly placing kisses along her collarbone, his tongue licking at the hollow in the crook of her neck.

"We should go and dry off inside," she whispered as he groaned into her skin again. "As much as I love your parents and your brothers and sister, I really don't want them seeing me in my underwear."

"Yeah, over my dead body will my brothers ever see you like this," he growled protectively as he led her inside.

She emerged from bathroom wearing sweats and a t-shirt, her hair pulled into a loose ponytail. He idly flipped through the channels, not able to find anything he wanted to watch. He'd much rather watch her. She inspected the pictures on their mantle, stopping to pick up a frame.

"I love this picture," she sighed, holding it up for him to see.

It was their prom photo. They'd taken two, one normal one, and one funny one, and the latter had made it onto the Lynch display of family photos. She was pointing to him, laughing, as he pretended to take a bite out of her hair.

His phone pinged. "I just got a text from Ryland, they just got done and are getting some froyo."

"So, what we've got a good 15 miles, add another 20 minutes for eating time, subtract five minutes for the way your brother drives, and we should have another thirty minutes to ourselves."

"God, you're sexy when you're being all smart."

She smirked at him, moving closer until she was in front of him on the couch. Even sitting down, he was almost at eye level to her. He gripped her butt with his hands, kneading softly, drawing a surprised squeal. He looked up at her.

"What can we do in thirty minutes?"

"Hmm, I don't know…we can watch _Game of Thrones_…" she suggested, a smile playing on her lips.

He pulled her down onto his lap. "I can think of some games I want to play that don't involve the Lannisters."

"You are such a nerd."

"Oh, really? Coming from you, that's a compliment." His lips found hers again as time melted away.

"What are you saying," she pouted after coming up for air. "Are you calling me a dork again?"

He stopped mid-kiss and threw his hands in the air. "Adorkable, I meant adorkable! Am I ever going to live that down?"

"Nope. It's okay, I know how you really feel about me."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yup," she replied, popping the p. "I know you so well, I can read your thoughts. You are very predictable."

"Oh, can you? Maybe we are becoming psychic because you just sounded cocky, like me."

A horn sounded outside, startling the both of them. It was the not so subtle hint from one of his siblings that they were home. The two separated and sat beside each other on the couch to brace themselves for the arrival of his whole family.

"Hey, how's this for predictable?" he asked. She turned towards him, her eyebrow cocked. "I love you," he declared nonchalantly.

Her eyes widened and her jaw grew slack as the group came barreling into the room.

"You better not have started _Games of Thrones_ without me," Ryland shouted, as his mother surveyed the scene.

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" she asked sweetly. His mom was so embarrassingly protective of him. And she was looking at the two of them real suspiciously.

"Not much, just watching some TV," he stated casually as Laura still appeared to be in shock.

"Are you okay, Laura? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

She shook it off and smiled up at his mom. "No, Ross just told me a spoiler for the show, totally shocking. Had no idea that was going to happen…" she muttered.

Rocky plopped himself between the two and propped his feet up on the table. Riker grabbed the remote from Ross's hand and sat down beside him. Rydel joined Laura on the other side of the couch and Ryland picked a spot on the floor. Laura searched Ross's face for any sort of explanation or reaction or anything. She was completely nonplussed, but he avoided her eye contact, choosing just to smile and stare straight ahead instead.

That would teach her to think he was predictable.

He walked behind her as she walked to her new car, a shiny new BMW from her parents for graduation. He smiled as he thought of how they'd it christened it with a celebratory make out session the first time she drove him around. Once she was sure they were out of earshot from his family, she turned.

"What the heck was that, Ross?"

"What?" he played dumb.

"What you said in there, before we got interrupted."

"Oh, that you were starting to sound cocky."

She looked at him through her thick eyelashes.

"Oh, you mean the part where I said I love you." He took her hands into his, playing with them before meeting her eyes. "I meant it. I was just waiting for a good time to say it, and I figured using it to prove you wrong was perfect."

She let out a tiny snicker. He opened the car door for her as she slipped in. He gave her another peck on the lips, leaning all the way down to touch her lips. "Drive safe, text me when you get home."

He shut the door carefully and watched as she slowly drove around the cul-de-sac. He waved and turned, missing her as she rolled down the window.

"Hey!" she yelled out, trying to grab his attention.

He whipped his head around to see her smiling face. "I love you, too!"

He grinned, clutching his hands to his heart. He closed his eyes as he heard her car become more distant, hanging on to the moment, filing the memory into his head to be cherished forever.


	3. my last glance that will soon be memory

_A/N: Another fluffy flashback chapter because i like writing these now, give me feedback if you like these sweet scenes, wasn't sure how people felt about the last chapter-except for those who always review, you know who you are, thanks! It'll be getting more dramatic here in a little bit-there's lots of foreshadowing in this chapter. I won't be able to update in a while, I'm out of town for this whole week again, but I will try my best. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not_ _the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have I ever met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to Maroon 5 and Hole._

_Rating: M for language and themes_

**Times Like These**

3: my last glance that will soon be memory

_And the sun goes down,_  
_I watch you slip away_  
_And the sun goes down_  
_I walk into the waves_  
_And the sun goes down_  
_I watch you slip away_  
_And I know love will tear you apart_  
_Oh and I know the darkest secret of your heart_

_-Malibu, Hole_

* * *

He looked over at her, she was happily singing along to some song on the radio.

"What?" she giggled as he turned back towards the winding stretch of PCH in front of them.

"Nothing, just looking at you, kid."

"Kid? I'm older than you."

"By a month! And you still act like a child," he teased.

"Are we there yet?" she answered right back, having already asked him that multiple times. She was antsy, anticipating the surprise destination.

"Almost, can't you just relax and enjoy the scenery?"

She lifted her arms and touched the roof of his car to stretch. She manually rolled down the vintage car's windows, letting the salty air invade their small space.

"Mmm, I love the ocean breeze." She inhaled deeply, and sputtered when her hair flew into her mouth.

He laughed. "Classic Marano. Never change."

She pursed her lips, as she rolled the windows back up. "Wasn't planning to."

After another few songs on the radio, he stopped the car in front of a large wrought iron gate. With a click of the borrowed remote, the gates opened revealing a sprawling driveway in front of a very large home.

"Wow, this is it? What is happening right now?"

He met her on her side of the car, helping her out. "Welcome to Malibu, where all the dreams of the rich and the famous come true," he stated in an English accent.

"I can see that," she looked up at wonderment at the mansion made of glass. "This is insane."

"One day, but for now, we can only dream. He said we could get to the private beach from the backyard." He dangled the key in his fingers. One of the higher up Disney executives had let him have access to his second home, without asking any questions. These were the perks of being Disney's current 'it boy.'

They snaked through the backyard, careful to not disrupt anything, knowing that everything there was probably worth more than their lives. He held her hand as he led her down the steep stairs to the exclusive beach that made this area so highly sought after.

He laid down a blanket for them to sit on to watch the sunset. It was a far drive from their homes in the Valley, but it was worth it to see her excited face bathed in the glow of the pink sun. He would drive anywhere, go anywhere just to be alone with her. He wished they could be a normal couple and do normal couple things, but they hadn't ever been on a real date, instead having to enjoy these few and far between private moments. He wanted to take her out so badly, show everyone, but she was hesitant.

He knew it wasn't that she was embarrassed. He knew she felt the way about him as he did about her. She told him it was because she didn't want it affecting the show in any way, but he knew she was more worried about the potential backlash.

They had to hide themselves away. They couldn't be seen in public together lest their relationship be exposed. He hated that they had to keep it a secret, but he understood why she didn't want to go public just yet. She had barely wanted to tell their friends and family, which was sort of a kick in the nuts, but she was being careful.

He was much less so.

If he had a choice, he would yell his feelings from the rooftops so everyone could know.

He sat her down next to him on the blanket, and opened up a picnic basket, pulling out assorted food items. He propped his iPhone up, turning his lighter app on. The tiny flame flickered between them.

"Why are you so cute? iPhone light picnic at sunset on the beach? Who are you right now? You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"Hey, I told you I was going to take you on a proper date, and I'm making good on my promise. One day, I'll take you out on the best date ever, but for now, a candle light dinner at sunset will have to do."

"This is the best date ever, as long as I'm with you."

"Aww, now who's being cute?"

She blushed as she continued to rummage through the picnic basket. She pulled out a Tupperware container. "Are these heart-shaped salamis and pickles?"

"Maybe."

"Ross!" she yelped, her mouth agape.

"Laura!" he falsely mocked. "You better love those things, the salamis were a bitch to cut out."

"I do love them. I love everything about this. Oh, and there's pasta, ooh and a little vino? And gogurt! You do know the way to an Italian girl's heart."

He laughed as she got more and more excited. "Is it that easy?" he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Only for you." Her eyes shone and she took his breath away.

He may have not been able to take her out, but he was sure going to make this night special for her. He wanted to make every day count especially since it would be a while before they could see each other again. They laughed and talked and kissed and it was everything he needed before he had to say goodbye.

"I love you," she whispered into his neck, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, too."

Sometimes she thought it was a little too quick to be jumping so headfirst into this thing with him, but then he looked at her and said those words and it was okay. He was Ross, she'd known him for years. She felt safe with him. He loved her. She'd never felt this way about anything, much less anyone before.

"I literally will never get tired of saying that, or hearing it for that matter."

He kissed the top of her head. "There's a few things I literally will never get tired of doing with you."

She smiled as she caught his lips with hers, the rough edges of their tongues rubbing against each other. His hand found its way into her hair, holding her close to him. Her hands tugged at his shirt, feeling the ripples of his abdominal muscles.

He broke for air, flopping backwards onto his back. "This is perfect."

She snuggled up to him as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. "This is such a beautiful sunset. I wish it didn't mean that our last night was coming. I wish we had more time. Everything has gone by so fast."

Her summer had been a blur. Everything was a whirlwind, but it had been the best month of her life. But now he was about to leave for Puerto Rico for six weeks, and she'd be alone. She already missed him. He held such a strong presence in her life, it was scary, but exhilarating at the same time. She'd never known love could feel like this.

She was just afraid that the time apart would change things. He was going away to an exotic filming location. He'd be surrounded by beautiful girls in the most idyllic setting. She trusted him and his feelings for her, but she didn't trust other girls around him. Six weeks was a really long time. A lot could change in that time. Feelings could change. She tried to push away the insecurities, but they were always there, just simmering under the surface. She tried to not let the haters get to her, tried to not even pay attention to them, but maybe they were right. Maybe Ross could do better. It was only a matter of time before he realized that truth.

That was the thing, people didn't even know they were dating, and his fans already hated her. That was partly why she wanted to keep things quiet. She wasn't quite emotionally ready to deal with all of the negativity.

"What are you thinking about? You look like you're a hundred miles away," he whispered as he nibbled on her ear.

"Just how much I'm going to miss you," she sighed.

He brushed a hair out of her eyes. "Aww, let's not talk about it. It'll only be a few short weeks, then you'll visit me in Puerto Rico and I can show you all the sights. You will love it."

She smiled. She wasn't going to bring him down. "I'm so excited, I can't wait. Why can't it already be three weeks from now?"

"Because then how would you have time to miss me?"

"Who said I was looking forward to the trip for you? They have great shopping there!"

He gave her a look of mock hurt before attacking her waist with his hands. "You're gonna pay for that one, Laura Marano!"

She squealed as he tickled her, "STOP! OH MY GOD, STOP. PLEASE!" She somehow got up and starting running down the beach, but her short legs were no match for his much longer ones. He caught her and picked her up, fireman's carry.

"Put me down!" she insisted, laughing the whole time.

He lowered her close to the ground and dropped her, just as the tide pulled in, soaking her.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. She scrambled to her feet and chased after him, kicking water at him. He held his hand out to avert the water splashes from himself as he ran away from her.

She jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down to the ground. Her lips met his in a blistering kiss. She loved the way time stood still when they were together like this.

She pouted as he broke contact. "You got me all wet."

"Yeah, I did," he winked as she slapped his arm.

"You're freaking impossible."

"You like it," he replied cockily.

"Yeah, I do." They trudged back to their little stretch of the beach, the sun starting its slow fade. Unbeknownst to the pair, at some point, their hands found one another like destined soul mates that fit together like puzzle pieces. And neither was going to be letting go any time soon.

"Ugh, I don't want to go tomorrow, maybe I just stay and spend the whole summer with you." He stretched, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was wearing his shirt, since he'd soaked her clothes. It was laughable how the shirt hung down to her knees. "I want to make this last forever. Make it an endless summer with you."

She gave him a look, then let her eyes wander down his bare chest. Her clothes were actually fairly dry. She just wanted to see him shirtless. "I wish, but you know career comes first. Plus, like you said, how will I have time to miss you then?" She had made him promise that nothing was going to get in the way of their careers. He'd stupidly agreed.

"Who cares about work when I've got everything I need here?"

"You say that now."

"I mean it. Just you, me, the beach. That's all we need. That's everything."

"I do love it up here. Could you imagine living here? Wake up to the salty sea air, be able to just walk outside and have the ocean be at your doorstep."

"I thought you hated the beach."

"Ally hates the beach. Laura doesn't mind it. Especially when her company is amazing."

"That settles it then. We'll get a house up here some day."

She rolled her eyes. "Getting ahead of yourself."

"I mean it, I promise."

"O-kay, well, we have to work to be able to afford something like this. So I guess you're going to Puerto Rico after all."

"Ugh, you're right. I hate that you're so right all the time," he kissed her on the nose.

"Get used to it."

He dragged his feet getting them back home. He could spend hours with her and it wouldn't be enough. It was never enough, he didn't know how he was going to get through the next few weeks without her. How had he done without her before?

He parked outside her sister's apartment complex, shielding her as she changed back into her shirt. "You don't have to put this back on," she stated as he held open the door for her, grabbing the shirt.

"Yeah, I do, your sister's elderly neighbor is like having her way with me with her eyes."

"Can you blame her?" she smirked a he wrapped his arms around her. "I already miss you. Text me when you get to the airport. Message me when you get to Puerto Rico and we can Facetime."

"Okay. Love you." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips into his for a toe-curling kiss. His hands roamed down her back, rubbing circles into it, traveling lower, lower…

"Hey, you two lovebirds, get a room!" Vanessa yelled from her deck.

"Can we use yours?" he yelled back, giving her a quick wave.

"Yeah, let me ask my Dad how he feels about that," she quipped.

His jaw grew slack, stepping away from Laura, "Is he really here?"

Vanessa erupted into a fit of laughter. She loved messing with him. He was still so afraid of their father. He had reason to be, but still, he was so easy.

"No, you're safe for one more night," she replied before retreating into the apartment.

He let out a sigh of relief then squeezed Laura's butt surreptitiously.

"Ross!" she said sternly.

"Laura!" he returned in the same tone. "Did you ever consider that your butt touched my hand?"

"Likely story. I'll have to have a talk with it about impulse control."

"You do that, but don't be too harsh, it can't help itself."

She rolled her eyes again. "I love you. I'll talk to you later, okay? Text me when you get home." He kissed her briefly on the lips as she walked towards her sister's open door. She turned and gave a little wave before disappearing.

He sighed. It was his least favorite thing in the world, seeing her walk away from him.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews make me more motivated to update...just sayin'. _


	4. hard to dance with the devil

_A/N: So, a lot of you have questions, namely, how old R&L are—you'll find out in this chapter. Also, the first chapter and this chapter are set in the "present" which for this story is the future. Chapters 2 and 3 were flashbacks to the "past" which is 2014. Confused yet? There will be more flashbacks, and they won't necessarily be in order because who remembers things sequentially? Thanks for all the love for the last chapter, especially writermeAL and dont-stop-believin, and the others who've followed since Everlong, and thanks to all the new readers, too. This one is back to the future, so it's darker, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to Florence + the Machine and Pearl Jam._

_Rating: M for mature language and themes_

* * *

**Times Like These**

4: it's hard to dance with the devil on your back

_I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,_  
_I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why_  
_Why, why can't it be, __can't it be mine?_

_-Black, Pearl Jam_

He sat out on the water, his surfboard buoying him up in the calm sea as he looked towards the horizon at the rising sun. This was the first place he wanted to come after spending the whole day in bed yesterday sleeping off that flight. There was serenity only the ocean could bring him. And there was a special place in his heart for this particular stretch of Pacific Ocean. He needed to be out riding the breakers, and only here did everything feel right with the world. He may not ever find happiness again, but at least he was at peace. The water was cold, cold enough to make him feel something, which was always a plus nowadays. It was quiet, 6 AM was early for most people, but he loved that moment when he was in the pitch black, the darkest before the dawn.

He liked the anonymity of the early morning. No one cared who he was out here. He was just another beach bum, quietly riding the waves out here by himself. He didn't have much private time, mostly because of his family, but also because of his fame.

Fame. He had a love and hate relationship with it. It was something he had sought after relentlessly in his youth, and now that he'd attained it, was it really worth it? Fame gave him everything, but it took everything away. Well, it took the important things away, like privacy and love and normalcy.

What he wouldn't give to be "normal." Well, maybe he didn't want to be completely normal, but sometimes he thought he'd like to go back to a simpler time. What he really wished for was to go back and change things. If he could change things, maybe his life would resemble something close to what he had always pictured for himself. He knew millions would kill to be in his place, but would they if they knew the ultimate price they had to pay?

Honestly, he felt the life had been sucked out of him, his innocence and youth gone. The Disney machine had chewed him up, spit him out, and wrung him dry once he had given them all he could. He missed the days when it was pure and actually enjoyable, before it became a job he had to get through. He yearned for the days when he was just content, before things got fucked up and hard.

Before he had screwed up his life.

He was being ungrateful as usual. For every moment he resented, he knew that his family had benefitted. That was his internal struggle. R5 continued to be pretty successful, with the support of the loyal R5 family bolstering them through the years. They'd actually had a big mainstream hit off their third record that had helped them sell out shows all over the world and given them their first gold record. Even though the fanfare had died down a bit as their fans grew with them, their fifth album continued to climb the charts, even as they finished touring to support it. It was amazing that they had come so far, since the third record almost didn't happen.

He had done everything in his power to fuck that up. He was stupid, inconsiderate and unkind in his youth. He dragged his family through his hell and made it theirs. As the entitled brat he was at 19, he treated them like shit. Sometimes he still paid for it, they couldn't completely forget about the many times he'd lashed out at them, blaming them for his issues. If you twist the knife enough, the festering wound won't be able to ever quite heal without leaving a big scar.

There were times when he wanted to quit the band and quit everything. He'd tried, unsuccessfully, to stage a smear campaign against himself, destroying everything in his path, including the trust of those closest to him. He'd been careless, reckless, and self-destructive. It was by some divine intervention that his reputation hadn't suffered as much as he had wanted. They had good public relations people to sweep things under the rug. Even at his worse, even after every show when he would get into knock down drag out fights with his siblings, the public was blissfully unaware. All they saw was the happy façade that was put up, and Ross had to admit, even though he wasn't acting full time, he sure as hell earned his SAG membership.

Although, the most horrible thing was, he couldn't quite remember all that was said and done in those heated moments. That was the worst, since _they_ remembered everything. And it wasn't that he was fucked up out of his mind or in some weird altered state all the time. He just mentally shut down, barely there in spirit as it was happening. He was numb and in a haze from which he could not emerge. It was like his brain just skipped a bunch of pages in the book of his life. He shut it all out. It was frustrating for him, but more so for his loved ones.

Sometimes a snippet of a memory would come back to him and honestly, it meant nothing. It was like watching a movie of someone else's life. He went through the motions, but his actions and words did not matter during that period. His life felt like it was over. The girl he loved left him broken, and so he had to be broken. He had to inflict the pain that he felt on others, so that they could know. Everything was so fucking exaggerated back then, every breakup the worse thing to have ever happened to anyone in the history of mankind. Humans, especially teenagers, are inherently selfish. He was no exception. He thought he was so fucking poetic and dark and emo, but he was really just a little dipshit. Like those before him, depressed and looking for an outlet, he'd gotten caught up in himself.

There were days where he had convinced himself that he could not go on doing this. There were days when he would just sit on the bus and not speak to anyone. Literally, not one word would emanate from his mouth. Then there were days when he would just leave after the show and return right before they had to leave. There were days when music did not interest him. Nothing did.

No one knew where he went or what he did. Sometimes he just wandered off alone. Sometimes he felt so lonely that he just had to be around people, no matter how vapid and shallow they were.

But even that lost its charm.

He had gotten very good at posing with that shit eating grin, pretending that he was fine, that everything was fine, when there was a war raging inside.

She wasn't the reason for all of it, of course not. He would never give her that much satisfaction. It was a combination of things, and if there was someone to blame, he had to mostly blame himself. After the show ended and they'd gone their separate ways, he'd felt aimless. He always thought he would be so happy when the show was over, free from the binds that tethered him to a place he didn't really want to be, career wise. But instead he felt purposeless. With A&A, he had always had a schedule, a place to be, a script to read. He always had something to come back to, and people around who actually cared about him.

Suddenly, he had all this time. Time he didn't know how to fill. And the people he trusted and sought advice from were no longer there everyday. And okay, most importantly, she was gone. Because he had fucked up.

The days all blended into each other. The nights were all a blur of nightclubs and new girls. There was no accountability. That was dangerous for a young man of means.

He had been so confident in his youth. Too confident. The bravado and arrogance had belied his true self-consciousness. When all the shit went down with her, he felt like he was thrown down into a tailspin. He lost a little bit of himself and the road to recovery was littered with untrustworthy types who tried to steer him down each poorly lit blind path. That was a sobering experience in itself, trying to figure out who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. There were more villains than heroes, that was for sure. And he learned quickly that he was no longer the invincible boy he thought he was. He was vulnerable to heartache and loss and pain. And to think all of this could have been prevented if he hadn't let his ego influence his decisions.

It was so strange to think of how much had changed. In the six years since that everything happened, he was now a completely different person, hell, he thought he had evolved a lot over the past year. He didn't even party anymore. He rarely drank. He'd always kept his nose clean; that was a promise he had made to Kevin and Heath when he finished _Austin & Ally_. They'd seen too many sad stories before him, and he didn't want to be another statistic kid star. He had come close, but he'd made it through because of his family.

The choices he had made in his youth had fucked up his life completely. He'd let himself get seduced by temptation. He had been manipulated. He hadn't thought things through. He let outside influences get to him, and instead of working his way through situations calmly, he'd messed up, big time. He'd been rash, careless, and what he had done was unforgiveable in her eyes. It was crazy how a couple of bad decisions could affect the rest of one's life so negatively. He knew that now, everything that he'd gone through had matured him. But with maturity often comes jadedness and bitterness, and that was his present reality. One thing he was sure of, he would never put his heart into anything as much as he did with her.

It was a protective mechanism. He just wouldn't be able to survive if he were to be broken again.

He thought about her then, wondering if he ever slipped into her subconscious. It was still so hard to try and push her out of his mind, as evidenced by the sleepless plane ride he had to endure a day earlier. Try as he might, her presence still persisted, and he hated his brain for its betrayal. Who could blame it, she'd always left quite the indelible impression.

He thought about her again last night when he had finally hit his head to the pillow of his own bed. He dreamt about the nights they'd spent in each others arms, limbs tangled, her peaceful face buried in his bare chest. Her eyes were so wide, so expressive, he could see the whites around her irises. He'd memorized every crease of her face, tracing it endlessly in the dark. They were so young and carefree, and he had no idea how easy it was back then.

There was an innocence and purity to young love. There was nothing like it. There was no worry about social pressures, how much a person made, what they did or tax declarations. There was no anxiety about finding one's life companion. There was no bullshit. You were just together because you felt something for the other person, passion, admiration, desire, you just simply wanted to be around them.

A long time ago, he realized that his happiness was tied to her. And when she left, an emptiness plagued his heart. He felt sorry for all the girls who thought they could fill his mind and replace her. No one ever would. He was able to fool everyone, be spotted with different girls, holding their hands, showing affection. It was for her to see that he was moving on. It was all a show that he had perfected.

He remembered the summer breeze drifting the smell of her shampoo around him. They had fun, he loved to tease her, scare her. They'd ride on his motorcycle, even though she wasn't supposed to, and she'd wrap her arms around him so tightly he couldn't breathe. But that was the way he preferred it. So close that they couldn't be pried off each other. Then when she developed the courage, she let go, her arms stretched out wide, trying to take flight from him. He should have seen it coming.

He remembered the way she used to look up at him, like he was her star, but she didn't know at that time that it was the other way around. He'd always known she was smarter, prettier, more talented and driven than he would ever be. Everyone always knew it.

Sometimes he watched the old episodes of A&A and he remembered what it felt like to be in that moment, to love her. They were little time capsules that took him back to a time when things were good in his life. He could not have that back.

It had been one year since the last time they'd seen each other. Their encounter had hit him like a jolt of lightning, flipping some unconscious switch inside him. It had previously taken five years to start the healing process, but then one little glance set him back eons. How she still had that power over him, he did not know. Although brief, that meeting brought him out from his stupor, made him feel something again, even though the feeling was mostly anguish. It stirred up old emotions, which was dangerous, especially when the feelings were most likely unrequited.

Seeing her then motivated him. He made himself a promise that night, one that he kept buried away in his mind to think about during solitary moments like this, a promise that he hoped he would be able to make good on.

He paddled like hell, standing up on the board, balancing on the nose, feeling the swell beneath him. He rode out the wave, immediately paddling back out to repeat this over and over again. There was something soothing about the repetition of his movement. He actually felt in control, even though the ocean was a completely unpredictable thing.

He saw Riker emerge from his house and look straight at him. He gave him a signal to show that he was okay. He was tired of the constant supervision by his family, but they were so afraid he'd fly off the handle again, even though he was now 25 and not 19. He watched himself for them; he didn't want to bring his family down his path of destruction again.

They'd been very wary when he'd informed them he had rented out a house in Malibu for the summer, wishing to write and work on the upcoming record on his own. He needed to be here, in this place that was filled with memories, this place that held special meaning for them. He also needed privacy, some alone time, but that had raised red flags with the record execs, their publicists, agents and managers. It had especially raised the eyebrows of the members of his family. He'd reluctantly agreed to let at least one of his siblings stay with him for the majority of the summer.

You fuck up once and everyone gets on your shit.

To be fair, it wasn't a little fuck up. Disappearing, cutting off ties to everyone was grounds to make people worry about your well being. It's grounds for making people question your sanity.

If they only knew that during that time, he was questioning that himself.

* * *

A/N: see reviews do make me more motivated to update sooner :)


	5. you know that she'll break you in two

_A/N: Another flashback, they are 24 in this chapter to prevent any confusion. Also, some chapters will not have as much action as others, that's how life is, but be patient, I promise the story will progress. And there will be chapters where there is no dialogue, this is my way of creating a sense of isolation, feel the characters' pain. Have to make it angsty somehow... _

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs, not West Side Story. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to the Airbourne Toxic Event and Train._

_Rating: M for mature language and themes_

* * *

**Times Like These**

5: you know that she'll break you in two

_Tell me did you sail across the sun_  
_ Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded_  
_ And that heaven is overrated?_

_ But tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?_  
_ One without a permanent scar_  
_ And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there_

_-Drops of Jupiter, Train_

He perched himself next to the bar; he hadn't moved for some time. He knew this wasn't the best place to be since it could lead to disastrous consequences for him, but he didn't know most of these industry people and that made him uncomfortable. When he was uncomfortable, he relied on alcohol for a little social lubrication. But even that wasn't enough to calm his nerves. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans for the millionth time. He hadn't been to one of these big events in awhile, and he was rusty with his mingling skills. People knew him and would come up and try to converse, but he wasn't very receptive. If anything, over the years his discomfort being around crowds had grown, and his introversion had gotten worse.

To many, he was still a big star, but his reputation had suffered since his youth. Over the past few years, he started to come off more aloof and disenchanted when speaking publicly. He was no longer the voice of the band, no longer allowed to do any interviews alone, mostly because they couldn't control his disdain for the questions he didn't want to be asked. And journalists couldn't be trusted not to ask him about her.

Her.

He was kidding himself if he didn't think there was some small shred inside him that hoped she might be here tonight. She lived here now, filming her show and attending college. She had created a new life in New York without him. It was hard for him to imagine her here, she'd always be so associated with his Los Angeles memories.

But he couldn't tell anyone about hoping to see her, not even his therapist. If his family knew, they'd have persuaded him against coming, and there was no way he was going to miss being here to support his friend, whether _she_ was here or not. He'd missed out on too much already by taking himself out of the social equation for the past five years. And anyway, he was finally moving on in a positive direction. He had a rough go at it for a while, but he was a brand new person now. Everything that happened between them was literally a lifetime ago.

Lifetime ago or not, it was still difficult to have to field questions about the past. He had been practically assaulted with questions about his former life as a child star as he'd walked the red carpet earlier, an inevitability due to the nature of the event. He thought he did fairly well considering how anxious he was feeling. He didn't like the prying eyes or having to answer questions he didn't want to be asked. This was why he preferred the music industry to the typical Hollywood thing. Immersing himself in his music had been helpful, there weren't as many red carpets or interviews or whatnot, and he could hide. Lots of people in this business wanted to be seen, he would rather just be heard.

He scanned the room, sipping his whisky slowly. Even though he didn't recognize anyone, he recognized their stereotypes. That hadn't changed. The models who slurped their drinks whilst looking hungry. The nobody junior agents who talked a big game, when they'd probably snuck into the party on an ignored invite to their much more powerful bosses. The spoiled starlets who threw fits over asinine details while their personal assistants followed like obedient puppies. The coked out groupies looking to attach themselves to anyone halfway famous. They were all the same nameless, faceless drones he'd become accustomed to seeing since he'd started attending these events when he was 15. This business was so superficial and the people were so interchangeable. He was glad he had kept his distance. It was better to keep everyone at arm's length. But didn't that make him into stereotype as well? He embodied the disaffected rock star type. He was just as interchangeable as the rest of them.

And then finally out of the crowd, a familiar face to rescue him from his thoughts.

"ROSS! HI!" A bundle of dark curls ran up and enveloped him a big hug, and he relished the familiarity of his friend. He swayed with her, almost picking her up off the ground.

"Hi, long time," he said, studying her face. She looked happy, the laugh lines showing themselves along with that same twinkle that was always present in her eyes. He had never been happier to see that some things didn't change.

"I'm so happy you could make it tonight. So happy! I can't believe you're here," she squealed.

He chuckled at her exuberant response, not many people had that reaction to seeing him anymore. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, this is huge, Rain. You were so great up there, I loved it. You were amazing."

He was so happy to reunite with his friend on the first night of her latest project, a revival of _West Side Story_ on Broadway. He knew how much this meant to her, so it meant that much to him. It had been her childhood dream to be on the Great White Way, and now here she was, her name in starry lights. He was so proud of his friend, words couldn't describe.

"Thank you. I got your flowers, they were beautiful," she added breathlessly. Before he could answer, he was interrupted by multiple people coming up to her to offer their congratulations and well wishes. It was nice to see her continued successes.

He regretted not being a better friend over the past few years. It had been difficult to stay as close to Raini because of her close friendship with Laura. Their relationship had become strained, she had many harsh words for him at one time, but he was elated she had still thought to include him now, extending the proverbial olive branch. She was just one of the best people he knew, and he'd missed her guidance and wisdom immensely.

She turned her attention back to him. "You have no idea how much this means to me that you came. I know you're in the middle of your tour, and you're leaving for Europe soon. I'm just so happy you could make it. We need to have dinner and catch up soon when you're back, and you can tell me all about your world travels. And I heard the new single, so good as always," she smiled.

"Thanks. I'll send you the new album, let me know if you like it."

"Of course, I'm sure I'll love it."

"Rocky's around here somewhere, and the rest of the gang sends their best. They're sorry they couldn't make it."

"Aww, I miss the whole gang. I'll have to find Rocky, but tell your family hello." She hugged him again, as someone else tapped her on the shoulder to whisk her off to mingle with more important people. "I'm just so glad you're here, Ross! Thanks again!"

She left him standing there in the middle of the room, and suddenly he felt very exposed. He took another generous swig of his drink. He craned his neck to see if he could find his brother, but as usual Rocky had wandered off, probably in pursuit of some hot girl. Some other things hadn't changed over the years. He searched the room a few more times, thinking he had missed him when his eyes met a pair of deep chocolate eyes he would recognize anywhere. His breath caught in his throat, causing him to choke on the bitter liquid.

Time stood still for seconds, minutes, hours? He had no concept.

She looked away quickly. He felt like his lungs were gasping, grasping for breath. He forgot where he was, both in space and time. He felt like he was floating above himself, looking down at the sad soul that was left standing vulnerable and alone. He knew she had seen him, and he felt trapped in this huge room with the eyes of all these people on him. And then her eyes were on him again.

The lights beat down on him and he started to sweat, but he was cold and shivering at the same time. He swore he saw her lips curl up into a little smile. He used to know everything about her, but now he couldn't even tell if it was a happy or sad smile. He did not avert his eyes, turning this into a mental staring contest.

She broke first. She turned back to her companion, laughing at something he said, holding her drink up to her chest as if it would ward his evil spirit away.

She wore a white dress. Of course she would, the purest of innocence was what she'd always portrayed. He knew otherwise. He felt dizzy, unwell. He closed his eyes as a thousand memories of her flooded his mind and his heart, and he suddenly couldn't breathe and it was too much and he had to sit down, but there was nowhere to sit down. A million snapshots littered his mind as his throat grew dry with an impending sense of urgency. It was all lips and skin and whispers and promises and he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Not here. He gripped the bar behind him to steady himself.

He felt like he was falling endlessly, the coils in his stomach relapsing and remitting, with no endpoint in sight. He feared he would feel this way forever.

He downed the rest of his drink, then had the bartender pour him another, then another. He was not sure if he was trying to drown himself, but it seemed like a good idea.

When he looked up again, he saw her staring, her face etched with concern because of course she was still a good person, and he wasn't, and she hadn't changed and she was so devastatingly beautiful that he wanted to be swallowed whole by the earth, and it wouldn't even matter to him.

He wondered what he looked like to her, if it was pity in her eyes, if it was as painful for her as it was for him, and before he can decide that it wasn't, she was right there in front of him. There's a worn and guarded look in her eyes, one that he is ashamed to have seen before, created by the dissolution of their relationship.

"Ross." His name hadn't sounded as sweet in years. Her eyes were dull, no longer shiny with the luster he had adored so much. They were tired, like they'd seen too many painful things. But even with the sadness in her eyes, she looked so fucking beautiful to him.

"Laura." The word rolled off his tongue so smoothly, like his mouth had been anxiously waiting for the opportunity to say it again. He could smell her, she smelled the same, and it killed him.

"How are you?" she asked, and he felt like she did not really want to know the answer, so he gave her an acceptable response.

"Great, how are you?" His tone painted a picture of forced happiness. He wasn't happy, he was fucking dying inside. His sympathetic nervous system was working in overdrive, wondering if he should fight or fly.

"Great. It's nice seeing you again, I've heard you've been all over, really busy." They both stood there stiltedly facing each other, keeping a safe distance apart.

"Yeah, touring. Back in LA soon though." He was not entirely sure why he said this, but somehow he wanted her to know that there could be some permanence in his life, one day.

She gave him a closed-lipped smile, like she was trying hard to be diplomatic. "Awesome. Well, maybe we will run into each other again."

He wanted to ask her what would happen then, would they run away from each other like they were about to do now?

"Yeah, maybe. Good seeing you." All he could do was stare as she walked away again. Their encounter was brief, but he knew it would become a new obsession. She turned around once to see if he was looking after her, and he was. She linked her arm with some guy whom he knew to be her boyfriend, and they made their exit.

And that was it.

Five years of anguish returned after less than five minutes of face time.

It wasn't enough for him. He had to see her again, if only for a minute. He just had to see her face. He had to read every line, he wanted to see something that would give him one clue as to how she felt about him. He couldn't go another five years without knowing.

He wanted to scream, "That's it? That's all I get?" He'd thought that there would be some sort of resolution to things once he saw her again, but there was just dissatisfaction. There was a physical ache inside him, needing something more from her. He couldn't believe that was all.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, looking like some sort of maniac, out the exit, hoping to just catch a glimpse. He just had to see her.

He maybe caught half her face as she climbed into her car, but then the paparazzi descended upon him and started blinding him with flashbulbs and then it was really over. He trudged into the club again, running into his brother.

"Hey, where were you, I've been looking for you everywhere?" Rocky asked. When Ross didn't immediately respond, he noticed the pale, blank look that has replaced his brother's countenance, and his face reflected his concern.

"Hey man, you look like you've seen a ghost, are you okay?"

He shrugged it off, and wordlessly headed towards the rear exit, not wanting the cameras to catch his broken hearted face on film again.

Once he got outside, he nearly collapsed against the building. It smelled like sweat and piss outside in this alley, but he didn't care. The tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn't do anything to stop them. What did it matter? He had just seen her for the first time in five years. And even though he thought he had gotten over her, he hadn't.

It became clear that he wouldn't.

No matter where he ended up in life, she would always be the one that got away, and that tortured him. He would be lying to himself if he thought he could just forget her. He would never forget. He loved her too much, she meant too much to him. Even if they never got back to where they once were, he had to at least make her understand why he did what he did. One day he would make her forgive him, then maybe he could work on forgiving himself.

* * *

A/N: Hint, reviews might lead to a present day Raura meeting in the next chapter.


	6. i'll follow you until you love me

_A/N: Thanks for all the nice comments, 100 reviews already, which is awesome. I appreciate every single one of you who reads this story. Here we are a few days early, I'll also try to post a chapter on Sunday since I'll be gone next weekend. Finally, we get a present day Raura meeting in this chapter. And just know, there are hints sprinkled throughout all the chapters as to how they've gotten to this point. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to Lady Gaga and Everclear._

_Rating: M for mature language and themes_

* * *

**Times Like These**

6: I'll follow you until you love me

_I am still living with your ghost,_  
_Lonely and dreaming of the west coast_  
_I don't want to be your downtime,_  
_I don't want to be your stupid game_

_-Santa Monica, Everclear_

He swam out a little bit further from his house today, feeling a little bit bolder. He sat up on his board, waiting for the perfect wave, bobbing up and down with each passing swell. Even though it was the dawn of a beautiful day, the stretch of beach was empty save for a few runners. It paid to have money to have a house on a private beach, he thought. You were really paying for peace and quiet and location. No wonder Malibu was the preferred location for the rich and famous. It had always been his preferred location for other reasons.

He closed his eyes and meditated for a bit, the ebb and flow of the water rocking him back and forth. He could feel everything out here. He was exposed and weightless and free.

And in that instance, his sixth sense was awakened. He had always been able to feel when eyes were trained on him, having always craved that kind of attention since he was a child. As he got older, his body became especially attuned to seek notice from certain people. His eyes fluttered open as he spied a shadowy figure in the distance. He had been waiting for this moment for months, maybe for years. She was standing on the deck, leaning her chin on her hands, squinting her eyes at him. She was so far away, but he could see her with perfect clarity.

She had not recognized him yet, but he could tell her curiosity was piqued by way she tried to shield the sun from her eyes to get a better look. There could be quite a few bleached blonde surfers on neon pink surfboards around, but she had only known one in her life, and her mind played the cruel trick of reconciling memories of him with this vision. Except that it was not a trick, it was not a hallucination.

He felt the water rise below him, and he changed his stance to a crouch on the board. With a swift move, he was on his feet, balancing, perfectly centered as the wave curled behind him. He was glad that she was so far away because he could sneak glances at her without being caught. She was like a dream, wearing a cropped tank top that showed her tiny, flat waist and a flowing skirt that fluttered in the breeze. He rode out the wave, not faltering, as he was a fairly expert surfer, and then he laid himself back down to retreat towards his house.

That was enough for one day. He had gotten what he wanted for now.

He reached the shore and undid his ankle strap. He carried his board back to his house, leaning it against the deck. He climbed the steps intentionally slowly in case she continued to watch. He didn't look back to see if she was.

Rydel opened the glass door and poked out her head, greeting him. She had been his keeper for the past few days. He didn't mind when she watched over him. She often times was so wrapped up in her own world that she missed out on the details of his.

"Anything good out there this morning?"

"Not really." He walked past her to the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of orange juice. He drank straight from the source as she wrinkled her nose.

"Gross. What are you going to do today?" she asked, as he picked up a piece of freshly fried bacon from the skillet. At least his sister cooked for him when she was around. His brothers just loafed and ate his food.

"Wait around," he stated with a cryptic smile.

It took her a week. That was pretty quick for her, she wasn't the confrontational type, but it felt like forever for him. Every morning, he taunted her, showing off his mad surfing skills right outside the house he knew she occupied. Every morning, he knew she had seen him, whether she was out on the deck or not. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Today felt different, she was out on the deck before he even paddled out, like she was waiting for him. That stroked his ego a bit. He went through his routine, caught a few good waves, and headed home. He had peeled off his bodysuit midway, revealing just his torso when he heard her delicately clear her throat behind him. Her proximity made the hairs on his neck stand up on end.

"Ross?" her voice was barely a whisper but he heard her perfectly.

He turned around slowly, and he couldn't help it but puff his already perfectly toned chest out a little more, flexing his muscles. He wondered if she remembered the last time she saw him in his wetsuit.

The manner in which she stared at his chest made him think she did. He smiled arrogantly. He still had it. He squinted his eyes as he looked down at her, pausing dramatically, like he was trying to place her. "Laura?" He plastered a surprised look on his face.

"I thought that was you." Her words sounded stilted, like she was scared. She was. He could tell that every muscle fiber was tensed, ready for her to dart off from whence she came. But instead of leaving, she hesitantly ascended the steps to his deck. He wrinkled his brow in confusion, while simultaneously memorizing everything about her. She wore a simple floral print dress, her hair loosely framing her face. She looked like Ally reincarnate. It took everything in his power to not throw her down and rip that dress off of her. Emotions could dampen, but the feeling of wanting her would never change for him. He licked his lips, a gesture that heightened her awareness that they were standing in front of each other, alone. "I've seen you surfing. I live a few houses down." She pointed in the direction of the house he had been targeting for weeks.

"Really? My realtor said most of my neighbors were elderly couples or dudes. You're neither of those things."

She snickered a little, "You sound disappointed."

He inwardly winced. "Of course not. Just, not what I was expecting."

"It is…unexpected. Of all the places in the world, we end up being neighbors."

"LA is small, Malibu is even smaller."

She peered at him suspiciously, and for a second he was afraid she'd figured him out.

"Well, you always did love it here," she stated evenly. He knew she remembered the last time they met up on this beach and every circumstance associated with that encounter. He couldn't forget it, so what made him think she would?

"Yeah. Well, welcome, neighbor, would you care for a drink or something?" He gestured to his house. She kept her distance, safely away from him.

"I don't think that's a good idea. But thank you. I didn't know you lived here. You must have just moved in?"

"Don't look so alarmed. I'm only here for the summer. I just needed a place to relax and write, and surf. A place to escape from reality."

"Well it's the perfect place for all of that." She looked down awkwardly. He noticed her hair falling in perfect waves, her makeup expertly applied for it being so early in the morning. He burned her image into his mind. She had been waiting for him, too. They were more alike in their machinations then they knew.

"Yeah. I think we both know that," he said pointedly, the subtle accusation there.

"Yeah," she said softly, her memories taking her back as she studied him. It was like looking at the 18-year-old boy she'd fallen for so long ago.

"It's been a long time, what, like a year?" he asked nonchalantly, stretching his arms over his head.

"Yeah, I think it was Raini's premiere when we saw each other last. You look good."

"So do you. As always," he complimented.

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked.

"No, I actually should get going…" she trailed.

He wanted to tell her that he wanted her to stay for a while, but he wouldn't. "It was good to see you, I'm sure we'll cross paths on the beach sometime."

"I'm sure we will. Nice to see you again, Ross." She turned away with a wave and walked back towards her house. He intentionally did not turn around.

He let out the breath he had been unintentionally holding. It made him happy to know that he'd successfully infiltrated her mind. Now she could know how he had felt for the past six years.

* * *

She sprinted across the beach until she reached her door, her chest heaving, her mouth dry. She had to push her body so hard so that her physical pain would distract her from what she was feeling. She could not let him see the way he affected her.

She shut the glass door behind her and slid down into a crumpled heap on the floor. All it ever took was one look, one word to just break her. No matter how many years would pass. No matter how many others came between them. No matter where their lives would take them. She would always be so severely affected by him. He was her first love and she would never let go of him.

She felt this ache seed itself in her chest and it was hard to breathe again for a second. Her jaw was clenched, her shoulders felt tight, her body's natural defenses ready for battle. But why even try? She should just admit defeat now. She would always have a soft spot for him, even though he was the one who left her cold. She never admitted it to anyone, but sometimes still, when she was alone, she would just fall to pieces thinking about something he had said.

She picked herself up like she'd done many times because of him. She stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat onto her skin. She thought she would feel some sort of catharsis from this physical act of washing, but all the water did was mix with her tears so that she couldn't tell which was which.

God, seeing him like that brought back a wave of memories that had been buried within her. They way he looked at her, like he still wanted her made her feel devastatingly warm. It was the worst kind of betrayal. She shouldn't want him. But the butterflies returned, a full force assault on her stomach, and she hated it. Why did he have to come back? Why couldn't he just stay away? It had been easier knowing he was far away.

It would never be okay. It would always affect every part of her life, even if she pushed it so far back into her mind that she convinced herself it was gone. It would never be gone. There would always be a piece of her that would never forget.

* * *

He replayed the image of her walking up to him over and over in his head while he sat on his deck, mindlessly plucking the strings on his guitar. She looked as gorgeous as she did back then. Her face had rounded out a little with maturity, the corners of her eyes starting to grow little laugh lines. He was responsible for some of those. He wanted to be again.

That was a dangerous thought. That's not what he came here for, but he couldn't help daydreaming about what could be. She was different now. Poised, a little less energetic, more womanly, if that was a thing. Maybe she'd just changed in regard to him. Maybe she was the same awkward, spazzy Laura with others. He wanted to see her let her guard down for him.

She had become moderately famous, which in his opinion was the best kind of famous. She was popular as the quirky fledgling actress-best friend, but she was not the lead of her show, saving her from being everyday tabloid fodder. There wasn't as much surveillance by paparazzi, celebrity bloggers weren't dissecting her every move, but there was still the occasional story about her. Her show had recently completed its final season and now she was back in LA for good. For the first time ever, gossip websites had helped him instead of hurt him. They'd assisted in finding out valuable information, including the fact that she'd rented a home in Malibu until the renovations were complete on her recently purchased Hollywood Hills home. It was amazing what you could find out from a simple perusal of the internet. What else was an insomniac to do?

All it took was finding a cougar type real estate agent who was more than willing to spill all the secrets. It was too easy, really, just took a few intense glances and a little flirting. Ross was good at getting what he wanted. He didn't feel that bad though, his realtor earned quite the commission from him when he insisted upon getting this rental. He paid over the asking price.

It made his heart clench to find that she was living here, even if it wasn't permanent. Something made her pick this place, this location. Something drove her here, and his arrogance had him believe it had something to do with him. There was still that shard of hope. It had been far too long, and he was seeking penance.

There was something about her face when she saw him. Even though there was a bit of a steely exterior, there was still a spark buried underneath all of the hard feelings and pain. The memories were still there. She still felt what he knew, he had to believe that. It was part hubris and part stubbornness that led him back here. He wasn't willing to give up.

Rocky slammed the door, and Ross heard a pitter patter of feet across the hardwood floor. His brother's dog bounded out onto the patio and jumped into Ross's lap before licking his face.

"Hey buddy," he stated, rubbing circles behind the retriever's ears.

His brother turned the corner and he didn't look too pleased, looming in the doorway. "What's up?" Ross asked.

He responded sternly, "Ran into someone interesting today while walking Riley."

Ross barely looked up from his notebook. "Oh yeah, who?"

"Laura."

"Laura who?"

"Come on, Ross. Are you fucking serious? You can't tell me that you live down the street from her and you didn't know."

He shrugged. "I actually did know. I ran into her the other day when I was surfing."

"And you didn't mention it?" Rocky chided.

"Am I supposed to tell you everything that happens in my day? I took a shit at 11 AM yesterday. Are you happy?"

He ignored his flippant remark. "So what the fuck man?"

"What? What is your problem? So she lives nearby, so what?"

"This is not a coincidence. We're just getting back to where we were, and now this."

"Now what? You act like I fucking sold you out or something. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal knowing your history."

"And that's exactly what it is, history," Ross insisted.

"No wonder you wanted to write alone here away from the family."

"You literally make us sound like the mafia. Maybe I just want some time on my own. So that I'm not smothered all the time. Do you want me to keep on apologizing for shit I did 6 years ago?"

"I don't know what you're trying to do to yourself, but I can tell you that we're not going to be dealing with any bullshit, Ross." Rocky hadn't forgotten the issues that had almost torn the band apart once upon a time, and he didn't seem pleased that something that could threaten their happiness could be on the horizon again.

"Fuck you."

"You may have fooled her into thinking that this is all so coincidental, but you're not fooling me. What's your endgame, dude? Give up."

"Weren't you the one who told me once to go after her even though she had a boyfriend?"

"That was a long time ago. This is adult life. You have to grow up. You can't live in the past. You've let this girl fuck you up for years now. Years. You can't hold onto this forever. Leave her alone, Ross. It's better for both of you. You need to let go."

It was true, he had let her fuck him up for years. But it's not like his family hadn't benefitted from his pain. Some of their highest charting singles were written through his pain. He shook his head, not wanting to hear it. "What I need is some peace and quiet. What I came out here for. I want to work on some songs, and if you don't what to contribute, then get out of my face."

"You know? Maybe it's good that she's so close. Maybe you can see how she's moved on, how she's got a new life now. Maybe you should move on, too." His older brother slammed the patio door shut to punctuate his anger.

Didn't Rocky understand that he had tried to let her go? Didn't he get that if he could give her up, he would do anything for that to happen? All the things that were done in the past haunted him, and he didn't want to live this way forever. He couldn't be at peace knowing that she thought that the way things went down was because he didn't care about her. He realized that they might never be together. He realized that she had moved on without him. He realized that she was probably done with him. He knew that! He wasn't that stupid teenager who had hopes and dreams of being with her anymore.

He just wanted to absolve himself of some of the pain. He just had to make her understand.

* * *

_A/N: Well there's the first awkward encounter. As a warning, next chapter is rated a hard M for another type of first encounter. ;) Don't forget to leave me a note!_


	7. somewhere only we know

_A/N: Okay, this is the mature part of the story. Be judicious, do not read if you're not of age or if you don't like reading about sexual situations. It's another flashback, I tried to make it realistic, I hope you like it. For those of you who choose to read, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to Keane and the Cure and honorable mention to the 1975 and Haim for inspiring this chapter._

_Rating: M for mature language and themes_

* * *

**Times Like These**

7: somewhere only we know

_Spinning on that dizzy edge,_  
_I kissed her face and kissed her head_  
_And dreamed of all the different ways_  
_I had to make her glow_  
_"Why are you so far away?" she said,_  
_"but won't you ever know that I'm in love with you…_  
_that I'm in love with you?"_

_-Just Like Heaven, the Cure_

He laughed as she completely ate it again, falling off her paddle board. She grabbed a hold of the oversized surfboard and awkwardly climbed atop it, scowling at him the whole way.

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" she huffed.

"Because you wanted to spend time with your boyfriend, and I wanted to teach you how to be one with the water."

"Definitely one with the water, keep falling into it. The things I do for love."

"Could be worse, we could try surfing again."

"NO!" she exclaimed, mentally shuddering. She got more salt water up her nose falling off her board than she cared to admit. Luckily, he would remind her of it constantly, she was sure. She was not great at balance type activities, he got a kick out of that. She was his little klutz.

She paddled back to the shore, stopping to unhook herself before dragging the huge board up the sand and then collapsing onto their beach towel.

"Calling it a day?" he ran up to her, the perfect picture of the blonde surfer dude in his skintight wetsuit.

"I came to Puerto Rico in one piece, I intend to leave that way."

He plopped down next to her and kissed her on the head.

"It wasn't so bad was it? You look so cute in your little outfit." He gestured to her wetsuit jacket and bikini bottoms.

"Compliments aren't going to get me back out there," she retorted, although she had to admit she thought she looked cool. Except for the falling in the water part.

He stuck his tongue out at her. "You suck."

"Oh yeah?" she leaned over onto her elbows. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. "How about now?"

"Okay, you might be better at that than at surfing. But only marginally."

She glared at him through her eyelashes. "Aww, come here." He rested his head against hers as they stared up at the clouds.

"It's so pretty here," she sighed. "I never want to leave."

"We should just stay here. Tell Kevin and Heath that we'll just film the last season here on location. Austin and Ally get deserted on an island."

"They wouldn't be able to show that on Disney," she stated, pushing an errant lock of hair out of his eyes.

"I like where your head's at, Laura Marano," he replied, leaning over to capture her lips with his again. He would never get tired of this.

Their hands grew more brazen, bolder as his explored her body, taking it a little further as each minute passed. It was silent except for the sound of their lips smacking, spurring each to go further. She tightened her grip on him as he moved his body over hers, careful not to crush her. He rubbed up against her, letting her feel all of him, letting her feel exactly what she did to him.

The sky cracked with a flash of light before a thunderous boom sounded in the distance. The clouds opened up and a flood of rain hit the two teenagers.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Now nature is cockblocking me."

She rolled her eyes and took his hand, leading him back to the hotel.

They continued to laugh at their stupid inside jokes as she slipped the keycard into the door, unlocking the room she was sharing with her sister. The room was dark, the tap, tap, tap of the rain against the glass door eerily soothing.

She picked up a note that her sister had left.

_Went to check out the rain forest with the guys, meet you at dinner –V_

"Darn, Vanessa's gone, looks like we're all alone," Ross commented as he read over her shoulder.

"Don't sound so excited, jeez," she teased, walking over to the glass door and opening it, leaving the screen door shut. "Better, it was getting hot in here."

"So, take off all our clothes?" He peeled off his wetsuit so that his chest was bare, revealing that very toned and tanned body with that enticing happy trail. Hot damn, she thought. Filming here in Puerto Rico had done him real good. "What are you staring at?" he whispered, crossing the room and putting his hands on her arms.

"Nothing."

He lowered his mouth to suck on her earlobe, and she thought she could drop to the floor, he made her so weak. Her hands found the ridges of his muscular upper body, gently memorizing every line and ripple as he worked down her neck.

For the first time in her life she felt sure this was what she wanted. He looked up at her with a concerned look on her face, as she had stopped her motions.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she murmured as she pulled him back down to her lips, grinding her hips into his, drawing a deep moan from the back of his throat. She felt her stomach do a flip-flop. She started to pull down the zipper of her wetsuit, but he stopped her. She wrinkled her brow at him.

"Can I?" His eyes lit up at the prospect of finally seeing her, all of her, in front of him.

She smiled and nodded, as he scooted them back towards her bed. He pulled the zipper down, so excruciatingly slowly that she was about to take over and do it for him. He slipped one arm out, then the other, and then he just stared.

He stared for a while, and it made her more than a little self-conscious. She started to cover herself up, but he stopped her hands. "You're so beautiful, I can't take it," he whispered.

And then her lips were on his, insistent, and his hands were on her breasts and it felt so fucking good she couldn't believe this is what she had been missing all this time. He was gentle, then more insistent, kneading and massaging her, first with his calloused fingers, then with his mouth. She wriggled beneath him, becoming more and more turned on by him as he continued his exploration of her body. "God, Ross."

He looked up at her with a dreamy haze in his eyes as his fingers travelled lower and lower until they reached the waistband of her bikini bottoms. He waited for her slight nod before feeling her from the outside. She sucked in a deep breath. God, she might have an orgasm before he even did anything.

"You're so wet, babe," he sighed, as he moved back up to look her in the eyes. Her hair was splayed out over the sheets, and he didn't think he would ever forget the vision of her looking like this.

"Well, I just went surfing," she managed to joke as his fingers continued to dance. She bit her lip to fight back a moan, but she gave him a little sheepish smile that made him want to melt. He smiled back, she was so nervous, he could tell. He continued to manipulate the wet fabric, slipping his finger underneath and into her, pushing the cloth aside with his hands. He continued to stare into her face as she closed her eyes and moaned. She grabbed him by the back of his head and kissed him as hard as she could as he found her clit, rubbing it with his thumb as he slid his index finger inside her.

"Fuck," she mumbled into his lips as he felt her close down on his hand. Her chest rose and fell in beautiful waves. She blushed as he kissed her cheek.

"You okay?" he said with a tender laugh. He felt so fucking proud that he could do that to her.

"I don't know," she stated truthfully, trying to catch her breath. "Wow."

She felt his hardness pressed against her leg, and something clicked in her head. She wanted him. She wanted all of him. She wanted him now. She wriggled out her bikini bottoms, leaving herself completely naked in front of a boy for the first time.

But he wasn't just any boy, and for that she felt so grateful that he was the one.

He couldn't fucking believe this was happening. He practically drooled as he appreciated the scene in front of him. He was the fucking luckiest guy ever.

She pulled him to her for more contact with his lips and tongue and teeth and then her hands were on his cheeks, his jaw, his neck, traveling south as he rubbed up against her more and more urgently.

Her hands found the rolled edge of his wetsuit, tugging it off of him, with his assistance in kicking the damn thing off. And there he was. Her eyes bugged out of her head as he bit his lip expectantly. He was a little worried at her reaction. He knew she was thinking through the logistics of the whole situation. That was so her.

Before she could speak, he covered her mouth with his own and started to explore her folds with his fingers again. She gasped as she felt his hard on briefly touch her still very sensitive spot, making her muscles clench in anticipation. He dragged himself across her very wet entrance, his eyes asking for permission.

"Do I need to grab…you know?" he panted.

"No, we're good," she managed to grunt out, hating herself for not sounding sexier. It was embarrassing at the time, but she was glad her mother had insisted she be protected from anything unplanned by putting her on birth control.

His eyes lit up like it was Christmas, and she couldn't help but giggle, causing a chain reaction in him. She was so happy this was going to happen with him.

"I'll go really slow, just tell me if it's too much."

She looked down at him. He was beautiful, of course. Figured. She wouldn't have expected anything less. He entered with just the tip and just that caused her to wince. He pushed in deeper causing her to bite on her lip. She felt a lot of pressure, a lot more than she had imagined, but the look on his face made her feel so happy.

He sighed, his eyes closed. He stalled, trying to go as slowly as possible without finishing. He wanted to make this last as long as he possibly could, although it was going to be a real challenge. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to meditate as he inched in further and further. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, it did hurt a lot, but she tried to focus on the fact that it made her feel very full, in a good way. She tried to relax her muscles, raising her hips to meet his pubic bone, allowing him to fully fill her.

He let out a not so quiet moan. "Fuck, Laura, if you keep doing that, I'm gonna cum." She grabbed ahold of his ass and squeezed, goading him to start moving. He started to move slowly, slightly picking up the pace as much as possible without hurting her. "So tight, fuck," he mumbled.

She rose to move at his pace, her fingers clutching at his back, and he moved a pillow underneath her to change the angle. The friction started to feel incredible, feeling him slide in and out of her. She felt him hit something deep inside her and a yelp escaped from her mouth. "Oh, god, Ross, oh my…"

His strokes grew more erratic as he got close. His hands gripped anything they could, her breast, her ass, her pelvic bone. His fingers found her clit and she started to clench around him again. He feathered kisses all over her neck as she squirmed beneath him, as she lost control. He breathed into her neck, softly whispering yes into her skin. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

She flopped backwards onto a pillow as his forehead touched her chest. He was sweaty and his breathing patterns were exaggerated. They laid there in each other's arms for a long while, just enjoying the sound of their ragged breaths mixed with the pitter patter of the rain outside.

"I love you," she whispered, the first to break the silence.

He nuzzled her cheek. "I love you so much."

They had both never felt so at peace before, like this was their own little world, their own little bubble and no one could touch them. They smiled stupidly at each other, crazy, enamored, and so far gone.

* * *

A/N: There's more where that came from, depending on what y'all say. So, tell me what you think!


	8. forever young

_A/N: This one might be a little cheesy, it's another flashback, but it would be the chapter that would have taken place right after the last chapter of Everlong. This was kind of their beginning, and I wanted to at least write a little bit about their prom to tie the stories together a little, so enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional credits to Alphaville/Youth Group, Dashboard Confessional, the Lumineers, and One Direction._

_Rating: M for mature scenes and language_

* * *

**Times Like These**

8: forever young

_You've got wits... you've got looks,  
You've got passion, b__ut are you brave enough to leave with me tonight?_

_-As Lovers Go, Dashboard Confessional_

His heart was beating so fast, and it was fucking terrible, but he wanted to shout from the rooftops that he was with this girl. She had accepted him for all his flaws and his quirks, and she was with him. He didn't want to wake up because surely this was a dream, and he was clearly reaching with her.

She lead him into the darkened main hall of the museum, where all of her other classmates were, and her friends saw them and they cheered and whooped and it made him feel so fucking good.

She was gorgeous in her short blue dress, and he twirled her automatically because that was what she was supposed to do, twirl and be magical and fanciful and have the best night ever.

One of her friends ran up to her and pulled her away as they started singing at the top of their lungs, and he had to laugh because he rarely got to see her in her other life. It was nice to see her happy and carefree in this other element.

Right then and there he decided it was his mission to give her the happiness that she was feeling right now, always.

She motioned for him to come over and then he was there, and they were all jumping up and down, singing every word and bouncing everywhere, and he was sweating, and he didn't care because this was fun.

Prom was totally chill and awesome and he didn't even mind that he caught Jake giving him a dirty look from across the room because who gave a shit about that guy now? The prettiest girl was with him and something was going to start tonight and it would be the beginning of something special, he could just feel it.

Everything had changed.

He didn't want this night to ever end, but he couldn't wait to get home because he had a million new ideas for songs, birthed from just the looks she gave him. She was his muse now, and he wasn't letting her go.

She gave him a questioning look as he slipped back into his seat next to her at the table, where their dinner was being served. He just shrugged, she would know his surprise soon enough. He enjoyed the company of her friends, other guys his age, and he felt normal. It felt good.

As the opening notes of the song started, she had already started to drag him out on the dancefloor, leaving everyone else behind.

"Was this your doing?" she grinned as he wrapped his arms around her.

He shrugged, "Maybe."

"It's awesome. _I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_," she sang.

"This is our song," he whispered as he held onto her tight.

"That's a big declaration."

"Worthy of this occasion, I think," he replied with a smile.

"_Calum_ Worthy of this occasion." Her eyes danced with the joke.

"I'm not going to congratulate you on that pun, Laura. That was awful," he stated, shaking his head.

"It's okay, you don't need to, I know it was good. I know that you loved it," she insisted.

He bridged the gap between their faces, his nose almost touching hers. "You keep lying to yourself then."

"_You_ keep lying to yourself," she replied with a small shove to his chest.

"I'm not going to do that anymore, I already confessed my feelings to you, we're good now."

They continued to sway even after the short song was over as she just looked up at him. Even though she wore stilettos, he still towered over her. She loved that. She loved that with his arms around her, she felt safe. She actually hated how much she loved it, but there was nothing she could do about it anymore.

He spent most of the night just looking at her. He just watched her. It was quickly becoming his new favorite activity. She danced and she laughed and she sang, and she was the most carefree, beautiful, goofy thing he'd ever seen. She was always just herself and he was just in awe of how she could be so…lovely. That's what she was. Lovely.

And here she was again, chatting excitedly with a few of her girlfriends at the after party at someone's house. He should have been mingling with the other kids, but he couldn't help but stare. She was disarming.

He was going to make her his. He was not going to let anything get into the way.

She glanced around the party to find him, only to catch his eye and see that he was already looking at her. That was the best, most butterfly-inducing feeling in the world. She reveled in it. She practically skipped over to him, her shoes long ago discarded in some corner. She had to stand up on her tiptoes to give him the hug that he so savored.

"Hey, are you having a good time? We can leave whenever you want," she suggested.

"No! I'm having a great time, your friends are awesome, you know that."

"Well, you're not hanging out with them. The girls are all wanting to talk with you."

"I'll talk to them, but it'll be hard since I really only want to talk to one girl here," he confessed.

"Who?" she smirked with a flutter of her eyelashes.

"Emma, obviously," he deadpanned.

She hit him on the arm playfully.

"What? Oh, you thought it was you?" She pouted at him and he had to relent. "Okay, it was you. I promise I'll be better at integrating myself. I'm sorry, I've been distracted."

"Why are you distracted?" she asked, a big smile on her face.

"I'm just trying to figure out where I should take you on our first date."

She slightly turned her head and furrowed her brow. "What?" she asked, happily surprised.

"Where do you want to go?"

"I haven't exactly said yes yet," she pointed out.

"You practically did before we walked into the prom."

"That's rather presumptuous of you, Ross."

"I'm pretty confident in my ability to get you to go out with me. I can't help it. I don't care about all that other stuff, I think we belong together. I've liked you for too long to wait any longer. I was a freaking idiot for such a long time and I let too much stuff get in the way of what I really wanted, which was to be with you."

She didn't respond, instead just staring back at him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, oblivious to all of the swooning her friends were doing from all corners of the party. He returned the hug just as firmly, planting his chin on her head.

"I have really liked you for a long time, Laura," he stated, his voice barely a whisper. "Thanks for tonight, and for all the nights. And basically for everything."

Her eyes bored into his with a sense of awe. Wasn't she the one who owed him all her gratitude? "Shouldn't I be thanking you? This, all of it, was amazing. I couldn't think of anyone I'd want to spend this with more than you. I loved it."

"So, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking this is officially the best night ever. And I'm thinking that I can't wait to see where you'll take us."

"Why don't we start now?" he asked, the little twinkles in his eyes reappearing.

"What?"

"Let's go somewhere. Anywhere," he suggested with a wry smile.

Her forehead wrinkled. "And just leave?"

He backtracked. She didn't want to leave with him. "Nevermind, we should stay."

"No—" she interrupted, "let me just grab my purse and let them know we're going."

His heart leapt in bounds. He grabbed her hand and led her to his car, opening the door for her silently. They were both too nervous to acknowledge what was happening.

What _was_ happening? He didn't know.

He pulled off the freeway, and crept along the residential streets until he found the narrow road he had thought about taking her down a million times. They twisted and turned up the winding road, feeling her body tense with each corner they rounded. He couldn't tell if it was his driving or something else. He parked the car, meeting her eyes.

"Where are we?" she questioned, looking around at their surroundings. It was dark, lit only by the starry landscape above.

"The world famous Mulholland Drive. Come on," he goaded.

He carefully led her out to the lookout point, on her tiptoes, as she had ditched her shoes and was barefoot on the cobble stone walkway. She marveled at the cars crawling like ants up and down the 101, the lights of the Valley twinkling beneath them. The city was somehow quiet from up here.

"How do you know all these places? You take girls here all the time?" her voice quivered. Her fears manifested themselves in her questioning.

"No, I've just thought about taking you here, many times," he admitted shyly.

She cocked her eyebrow at him. "Good answer."

"I know."

She leaned her back up against the Universal City Lookout placard and scooted herself up until she was sitting on it. He stood in front of her, effectively holding her in place with his body. He wrapped his arms around her to protect her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The air actually smelled cleaner here, not as polluted as down below.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, wanting to know what was going on in that head of hers. She was always puzzling him.

"I'm trying to wrap my head around everything that happened tonight."

A few short hours ago, she was gearing up to go to her senior prom alone. Then she got this crazy romantic serenade and had the perfect date for the perfect night, and now she was alone with him in quite possibly the most romantic spot in all of Los Angeles, if not the world. And it was scaring the crap out of her. And she didn't know what to do.

"You've had quite an eventful night."

"Thanks to you." She hesitated, "I just…" She stopped her train of thought, pausing to look into his shining hazel eyes. How did they shine so brightly in the dark? "Thank you, Ross."

"You're welcome. I hope you weren't too embarrassed."

"No, I loved it. It was a shock." She tilted her head down and a few hairs fell free from their captive pins, shrouding her face.

He brushed the hairs from her face to really see her. "Typically the point of surprises."

"But, I don't need big gestures, I just need to know that you meant it."

After all of it, she still had that insecurity about the validity of his feelings. "Laura." He stared into her eyes. She tried to look away. He steadied her head with his hands. "Laura. I meant every word. I need you to know that. I'm here. This is where I want to be. With you and only with you."

She sucked in a breath. She almost forgot to breathe.

"All of that stuff over the past few months. It's been leading up to this. New York, everything, I've just wanted to be with you. And even after all the stuff I did tonight you still have a doubt of my feelings? I think I've made it pretty clear how I feel. I need to know how you feel. Are we friends or are we more?"

She stared into his eyes. Really stared, memorizing each freckle and defining speck. His irises subtly ticked back and forth like a pendulum, waiting for her answer. Her eyes flicked down to his quivering lips. She knew he was being one hundred percent sincere.

"We're more. We've always been more," she affirmed.

His lips crushed against hers, causing them both to momentarily see stars. And even though they had shared blistering kisses before, every time their lips connected felt like the first time for him. And he couldn't get enough. His hands ran through her hair, as hers moved along his cheeks, holding him to her. Their kisses were urgent, greedy, hungry, as if their bodies had been starved of each other for too long.

She broke away from him, wrapping her arms and legs around his body, keeping him still against her. She never wanted to let him go, and he didn't want her to. They could just stay that way forever, statues for all future lovers to see. She snuggled her lips against his neck and sighed softly in contentment. Even though he wanted her so badly it was paining him, he would take it slow this time. He would take his time with her and savor every second, because he wanted to make this last forever.

* * *

A/N: So, anyone up for another present day Raura encounter? Review and maybe you'll get one ;)


	9. we have changed but we're still the same

_A/N: Present day Raura, this time some insight on Laura's feelings on their encounter. It's going to allude to some past/future encounters, too. The next few chapters will set up the back story of how they broke up, so sorry in advance._

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry._

_Rating: M for mature scenes and language_

* * *

**Times Like These**

_9: we have changed but we're still the same_

_In another life_  
_I would be your girl_  
_We'd keep all our promises_  
_Be us against the world_  
_In another life_  
_I would make you stay_  
_So I don't have to say you were_  
_The one that got away_

_-The One That Got Away, Katy Perry_

Bzzzzz.

Her phone vibrated, hopping across the granite countertop.

She quickly glanced at the text message from Calum. Hmm, it was an invite to a dinner party at his house the following week. Her mind immediately wandered to Ross, and she hated that he was the first person of whom she thought. She couldn't help it. Since their encounter the other morning, she'd been completely unnerved and rattled. It was stupid of her to think anything of him, really, but especially seeing him there on that beach, the thoughts kept creeping back into her head, and she couldn't get rid of them. She'd thought time could heal those wounds, but his presence just reminded her of all the scars that were permanent marks on her life history. Seeing him made her relive all of the past memories she'd tried so hard to bury.

So, she had to wonder if he was going to be going to the dinner party. Was she ready to see him again? They were neighbors, she knew she'd run into him sooner rather than later, Malibu wasn't that big and she wasn't that lucky. She shouldn't care though, he really didn't have any bearing on her life anymore.

That's the mantra she kept repeating over and over again, hoping that repetition would make it the truth.

He had made her breath catch, her heart skip and her stomach coil in ropes. She felt like a lovesick teenager again, but she tried to remind herself of the heartache and pain that came with that. She'd gone through it once, she wasn't sure she could survive it again.

It didn't matter if he was at the dinner party. She had to face him at some point, might as well get the awkwardness over. It would prepare her for seeing him at Calum's wedding in a few months anyway.

Calum's wedding. That was so weird to think that her friend, practically her older brother, was getting married. They were growing up.

Well, some of them. Ross hadn't changed at all. Which was the problem. He was still the frustrating boy she'd fallen in love with so many years ago.

And that made her heart clench and twist.

How could he continue to do this to her? Just when she thought she was okay. Just when she started to be happy, he had to blow in like a hurricane to disrupt her life. He'd always had that affect on her. Just when she thought she was content, he had to come and show her what she was missing.

Maybe it wasn't contentedness she felt. Maybe it was complacency.

Her boyfriend was a decent guy, but she wasn't sure she loved him as much as she should. Well, she knew she didn't love him enough. He had told her he would be shooting a film on location for several weeks, and she'd been actually very happy at the prospect of him being gone. That shouldn't have been her first response, but it was. Coupled with all of these thoughts about her ex, she really felt like a terrible person.

It wasn't her fault entirely, but she wasn't blameless. She had tricked herself into thinking that David could be the one, wanting so badly for him to be the one to rescue her from her heartache. But then she ran into Ross at the opening night of Raini's play in New York, and she knew even then David was not the one who could make her forget about her former love. That had been over a year ago, and she'd still not gotten over it, and yet she still strung him along.

That was the tough thing when you had loved someone so much in the past. There was always that comparison, so it never felt quite right. But that was the thing, how could it compare? The love she shared with Ross had made her grow, and their breakup had changed the architecture of her heart and every part of the way she would love in the future. It wasn't fair to David. He hadn't been the one to break her heart, but he and all others would bear the brunt of the one who had.

She cared about him, but she knew they would never have what she had with Ross. But then again, maybe that was a good thing.

For all of the sweet moments, there were as many tempestuous moments when they'd fight and be hurt and say mean things to each other. They'd always been that way, even when they were just friends. Each person always had some comeback, some quip or argument. They knew how to get under each other's skin. They couldn't let the other win. It was often their pride that had hurt them the most.

She had thought about him a lot over the past few years. She always thought about how different her life would have been had she stayed with him. It was a stupid question to think about since he hadn't wanted her.

But would she still be acting? Would there have been as many successes as she had? She was overall very happy with her life. She had been a part of a project that she felt so proud of, that she adored. Her career had taken the exact direction she'd always imagined, being a part of an ensemble cast that had reveled in accolades and awards.

But she'd always imagined she'd spend this life sharing her successes with a certain someone. Their lives had been so entwined in their youth, that when he left, there was a void, an emptiness in her life that had never been replaced.

She had watched him surf from the comfort of her living room today. She would not let him have the satisfaction of knowing that she was out there waiting for him to appear each morning. Even if that's what she'd been doing. Old habits died hard.

And old feelings never did completely die out.

She closed the curtains, shutting him out of her world. She walked into her closet and reached up to the top shelf where a shoebox of memories was hidden away. She pulled out the mementos from the past, relics of a former life. She opened a worn jewelry box and palmed the gold necklace, and its charm. She quickly found the letter she had once composed but never sent. Sometimes when she was alone and she thought about him, she liked to pierce her heart just a little bit more. It was a reminder that she could still feel things.

_When you told me you had fallen out of love with me and you didn't want to be with me, it felt like I had been shot. I know it must have been much easier for you, as the person who inflicted the wound, but it has been a struggle for me to understand what went wrong. You were the person I loved most in this world, how could you not feel the same way?  
_

_I keep thinking of those things you said to me that night. I can't even put those thoughts on paper because those words have crippled me. I never knew you felt this way, you could have spared me some pain. I wish you could have had more mercy towards me. Maybe I wouldn't have fallen so deeply in love with you had I known how you were feeling all this time._

_But the worst thing is, even with all the things you've said and done, even after the way you treated our relationship, I still would take you back because I love you._

_You were my best friend, the person who knew me best in this world. And it's still hard sometimes to accept that I can't call you or talk to you whenever I want. There have been so many things I've wanted to share with you, but can't. And the things I really miss are the little things. I will never wake up next to you again, I'll never snuggle up to you when we're watching a movie. And that sucks. And no matter where we end up in life, I will always think about the future that could have been, the couple we could have become._

_Even after everything, I know you are a good person, and I hope you make the right decisions for yourself and for your future. _

As she read the painful words her 19-year-old self wrote, she closed her eyes to keep the flood at bay. She was a different girl back then. She sounded so young, her tone hopeful and immature, naïve.

The first heartbreak always cut the deepest. It set the tone for all the others, the example of what could go wrong. She learned from her past mistakes, always being a little more guarded and unattached, shielding herself from reliving any ounce of pain. Her heart had become so hardened that she was convinced that it would never be able to let anyone in beyond its steel walls again. That way no one would be able to break it.

She hated this feeling, weak and feeling sorry for herself. It took her seconds to feel this away again. To be vulnerable and feel damaged. She hated him for making her feel this way, but she realized that he was the only one who could really ever make her feel anything, which saddened her to no end.

That's how she knew that what they had was real.

* * *

She shifted the heavy garment bag from one arm to the other as she walked to the Coffee Bean. The line was horrendous, midday was the worst time to go as the tourists descended upon this particular location in the Malibu Country Mart. She should've dropped her bag off in the car before, but of course she was trying to be efficient. She was about to abandon her plans to enjoy a delicious caramel ice blended when she heard someone clear his throat behind her.

God no.

She turned around to see the last person she wanted to see. Life certainly had a dark sense of humor. "Hey," he smirked, as she checked herself in the reflection of his wayfarers. Of course he would see her when she was running errands, no makeup on. And there he had to be looking all relaxed in a softball tee, jeans and his converse, a few days worth of stubble gracing his chin. Was there ever a moment when he didn't look like he'd climbed out of the damn Hollister catalog? He was like an adult now, shouldn't he look older? She looked older. A lot older. Ugh, what did it matter anyway? Why did she care about what he thought about her? That tide had passed.

"You really can't say you're not following me now," she stated wryly.

"Don't flatter yourself. I come here almost every day for my fix. I'm kind of a big deal around here," he replied smugly. "Since when did _you_ start drinking coffee?"

"How do you know I'm getting coffee, I could be getting tea. It _is_ called Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf," she argued.

"Well, excuse me, are you getting tea?"

"No." She placed her hand on her hip, rolling her eyes.

He retorted, "Lawyered."

"Always have to get the last word, don't you, Ross? Just like when we were kids."

"You know it. So, then when did you start drinking coffee?"

"When I moved to New York and started school."

"See, was that so hard to just give me a straight answer?" he asked.

She wanted to come up with a sharp retort, but she had none. She hated that he was quicker than she was. She shifted again, her arm dropping.

"Here, let me help you," he offered, taking the garment bag from her arm. He reached for it, but she turned. "It looks heavy, let me take it for you," he insisted.

She sighed. "Thanks," she said reluctantly. She hated appearing weak in front of him.

She finally reached the head of the line and the perky barista greeted them, "What can I get for you two?"

"Oh, I'm not with him," Laura shut it down quickly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just…I thought," the girl stammered, apologetically.

"It's okay, the repartee could totally throw you off," he offered with a smile.

Laura glared at him, completing her order. He cut in, "Actually, I will get hers also," he stated, giving the teenager a wink. The poor girl looked shell-shocked. Ross had that affect on women, but his charms didn't work on Laura this time.

His hand brushed hers for the most brief of touches as he handed her her drink, but she felt the sting of excitement run down her back just like she was 17 again. That sting quickly turned into a flash burn. "Repartee? That's a six dollar word," she said pointedly.

"I read books now," he quipped. "And is that any way to treat the person who just paid for your drink?" he posed.

"You didn't have to do that, I can pay for my own drink," she replied irritably.

"I know you can, but would you just let me do something nice for you? Seems like you need the coffee, you're a little grumpy."

She glared at him. "Well, thanks," she answered with a hint of soreness.

"And you're still stubborn like when we were kids. And still quite the clothes horse," he nodded to the heavy dress bag. "An early birthday gift for yourself? 26, old lady."

There was a twitch of fondness at the fact he remembered when her birthday was. She remembered when his was, but she was a girl, and girls typically remembered those details more than boys did. "I'm only a month older than you, old man. It's actually a dress for an event I'm going to tomorrow night."

"Award show?"

"Charity dinner that my sister and I are hosting."

He smirked, "How is the lovely Vanessa?"

"In a happy relationship, thanks for asking."

He huffed before adding, "I always did admire that about you, how involved you were in things."

"Thanks," she hedged. She didn't like accepting compliments from him. It felt unnatural to do that because of their history. She was wary, suspicious. It was warranted; he had made her that way. She reached for her dress, but he held it out of her reach. She hated that, too. "Can I have my dress back?"

"I can carry it to your car."

She knew it was futile to decline, since he would probably follow her there anyway, but she still found it annoying.

"You're annoyed with me," he announced as walked several paces ahead of him.

She turned, "What, are you reading my mind now?"

"I like to think that I know you pretty well," he answered coyly.

"You don't," she said crossly. She opened the trunk of her car as he gently laid her dress down. He shut the trunk and leaned on her car.

"I deserve that. I _knew_ you well. But, umm, I'm glad I ran into you. I guess, twice now. I mean, I think things kind of happened for a reason, it's pretty lucky that I happened to rent a house a few doors down from you."

She personally wouldn't use the word luck.

He continued, "I fucked up, I mean, you know. And I just want to say I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes. Really? Was he going to bring it up right now? "Okay."

"I just hope we can be cool one day. You meant a lot to me, I want you to know that. We may have changed, but I think we're still the same people. We were friends once, and I'd really like it if we could be again. I just don't want there to be any weird shit between us."

Easy for you to say, she thought bitterly. He was the one who broke her heart. Of course it was easy for him to say that and be so nonchalant about being friends. She wasn't sure if that was the best idea. She didn't know where he was going with this, she was distrustful of his motives. But she also couldn't let him think that he still affected her the way he most certainly did. She could not let him know she still harbored resentment towards him.

She shrugged, giving him a cryptic smile. "Sure, it was a long time ago. We've both moved on, we're more mature now, older, wiser. I mean, we're almost 26."

He smiled, accepting her answer. "Yeah, we're not kids anymore. Well, cool, nice seeing you. I'll see you around."

She got into her car and sat for a few minutes, gathering her thoughts. She felt that familiar feeling in the back of her throat, that lump that wouldn't go away. She tried to swallow it down. But then she found herself bursting into tears, and she couldn't stop them and she had to make them go away, but she couldn't show that side that she'd fought so hard to suppress. Even though she had moved on, she was with someone else, he was still able to affect her so deeply and she hated him for it.

* * *

_A/N: Well, everyone wanted a present day Raura chapter...more bittersweet though, tell me how you feel._


	10. they don't know about us

_A/N: Thanks for all the very thoughtful and detailed reviews for the last chapter! I love all the feedback, especially about the letter she wrote-which may have been part a letter I wrote someone once upon a time, long ago, so at least it was not completely for vain. This is another flashback Raura, maybe it will raise some questions about the future. Thanks to lastsummerwemet, Jackie is Grey, and everyone else who regularly reviews, I love the comments, makes me want to write more. In fact, there may be a one shot in everyone future soon._

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the show, not the characters, not the songs, especially not Apple, Coffee Bean or Nordstrom. I am not affiliated with nor have met anyone depicted in this fictional story. Song credits to One Direction and the Postal Service._

_Rating: M for mature scenes and language_

* * *

**Times Like These**

10: they don't know about us

_I want to take you far from the cynics in this town  
and kiss you on the mouth  
We'll cut our bodies free, from the tethers of this scene  
Start a brand new colony  
Where everything will change, we'll give ourselves new names  
Identities erased  
The sun will heat the grounds, under our bare feet,  
in this brand new colony  
Brand new colony-the Postal Service_

He just wanted to hold her hand. That's all he wanted. It was funny, he never took the opportunity when they were alone in private, but when he couldn't do it in public, he wanted it more than anything.

Thanksgiving, also coincidentally her birthday this year, had been a few days before, and they were both at home, in the same place for once. He'd been gone the past few weeks playing shows, so they'd decided that they'd brave the crowds just to be together with what little time they had. They'd picked a good spot. The Grove was full of people bustling around trying to get the best holiday deals; there were so many people, it was the perfect place to blend in seamlessly. They still tried to be incognito, she wore her glasses and he wore sunglasses and a nondescript hoodie. To anyone they looked like a random teenaged couple walking around, enjoying the holiday festivities.

He played the role of the dutiful boyfriend, holding her bags as she rushed through each store, buying things left and right. In contrast, he'd just made one stop, at the Apple store, buying everyone in his family something practical that they'd need. It was pretty easy. She, on the other hand, had to pick the perfect gift for everyone, and girl had a lot of friends for whom she had to shop. He didn't mind though. Any moment with her was fine with him. He _was_ getting antsy though, he had something he'd wanted to ask her, and he was about to burst.

He handed her his Coffee Bean drink as she collapsed on a park bench just in front of a fountain. Behind them, spouts of water danced to the beat of a Christmas song as she watched the hustle and bustle of seasoned shoppers pass them.

She wrinkled her nose as she sipped at his coffee. "I think that was the last thing. So glad to be done with shopping. I feel like I really waited until the last moment this year."

"You still have like a month," he pointed out.

"Do I, Ross? Do I?" she asked, pursing her lips.

"Yes, fact." He gave her a peck on the nose as he drew her in close. She sighed contentedly, looking up at the holiday lights that wrapped the palm trees. Girls walked by in their Ugg boots and sweaters even though it was 80 degrees and sunny. It was a little ridiculous, but it was such an LA thing, and she loved it.

"Well, we still have two episodes to shoot and then we're going on winter hiatus, and that's barely enough time to get things done. Are you done, do we need to get anything else?" she questioned.

He shook his head. "No, I think we're good." He paused, grabbing her hand. Every time he did that, a twinkle appeared in her eyes, and he bet he was the only one who ever noticed. "Actually, there is one thing."

"For who? We can go back to Nordstrom," her eyes danced with excitement.

"Nope, I think I've spent enough time there for the rest of my life, thanks." She wrinkled her nose at him. "It's actually for you. And I've already got it. But before I give it to you, I have to ask you something."

"For me? Ooh, I love presents, where is it?" she looked around excitedly at the bags at his feet.

He laughed, "Happy belated birthday." He whipped out small velvet box from his pocket.

Her eyes bugged out as she stared at the box in his hand.

"Laura," he hesitated as her breath hitched, her eyes panicking. "Will you go on tour with me?"

She still looked stricken as he opened the box to reveal a gold chain with a tiny delicate treble clef charm nestled inside.

She let out the breath she had been holding. "Oh my god, I thought that was going to go a lot differently for a second there."

"What?" he asked confoundedly.

She sheepishly confessed, "I thought that was a proposal."

"What? You thought I was going to ask you to marry me?" It was his turn to panic a little inside. They were only 18! Well, she was 19 now, but still! Was she really thinking about that? He could imagine her, wearing a white dress, walking down the aisle…

She burst out in a fit of laughs, breaking his reverie. "Well, you _are_ crazy, I don't know, velvet box, important question? Just so you know, I am sooo not ready for that."

He exhaled deeply. "Well thank God. But back to my important question…" he added, gently reminding her that he did ask something. He took her glasses off her face, exposing her to the world. Laura had this weird Clark Kent/Superman thing with fans; they somehow never recognized her with her glasses. She was pretty with or without them, but he wanted to see her entire face bared to him.

"Will I go on tour with you?" she repeated, hypnotized by his proximity.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I figure, we'll be done with the show. You're not going to be in school yet. What better way to pass the time than exploring exotic locations such as Oklahoma City with your boyfriend?"

She thought about it for a second, should she tell him? No, she didn't want to ruin the moment, and she probably wasn't going to get the audition anyway. He was asking her to go on tour with him, this was a huge deal and a big step in their relationship. She nodded vigorously. "Of course I'll go, as long as it's okay with the rest of the band. I don't want to be considered the Yoko."

"You won't be considered the Yoko. I'm pretty sure they like you more than they like me."

"Well, if you weren't so much treble, maybe they would," she joked, tapping the velvet box, a big grin spreading on her face.

"Did you just…" he shook his head as she let out a high-pitched squeak at her own corny pun. "I'm about to leave you here," he joked, kissing her on the cheek.

She stared up at him with adoration. "Seriously though, you shouldn't have."

"Okay, I'll take it back." He reached for the box, but she slapped his hand.

"No, mine! It's beautiful." She slipped the delicate chain out and examined it.

"Well it tries, but you blow it out of the water."

"Aww. Now who's being corny?" She puckered her lips to tease him, but he pecked her back with his lips.

"Here, let me put it on." She held her hair back as he slipped the chain around her neck, letting his fingers linger over her skin. She flushed. She gave him a kiss on the lips, not caring who saw or who was around. His hands started to roam freely before she stopped him.

"We're in public," she warned.

"Okay, let's go somewhere private and continue this then," he raised his eyebrows, standing up and offering his hand.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed it. "I knew you were treble when you walked in."

"Oh my god. Can I have my necklace back?" he laughed as they both walked hand in hand towards the parking structure, oblivious to the fans that snapped dozens of shots on their phones.

* * *

She could be heard giggling all the way down the hall as he chased her into her dressing room. He smacked her playfully on the ass as she shut the door behind the both of them.

He leaned down and picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He tilted his chin up to meet her in a heated kiss. She played with his hair and stared into his eyes, smiling so widely the entire time.

He carried her over to the couch and let her down gently before climbing atop her. He pushed her shirt up to reveal the pale skin of her taut stomach, kissing his way down.

"Ross! Stop, that tickles." He commenced walking his fingers all along her bare waist, drawing his favorite sound in the world, her laughter.

A sharp knock sounded on her door and they both stopped, looking at each other then looking at the door. Laura straightened, adjusting her shirt as Ross moved to the other side of the couch. She opened the door to reveal two people he hadn't particularly wanted to see.

Kevin and Heath.

"Hey guys, can we come in?" Heath asked, looking at Ross, then at Laura.

"Sure, what's up?" Laura asked in her normal sunny disposition. She was nervous though, he could tell as her voice got higher.

"So, how's it going?" Kevin started.

"Good, how's it going with you?" Ross answered, knowing exactly why this visit was taking place.

"Good," Heath finished. The two men awkwardly looked at each other, not knowing exactly how to broach the subject with their two stars. They took seats opposite the two on chairs, and Ross had a sense an interrogation was about to commence.

"Okay," Ross replied in a sing-song voice. "Do you guys want to come out and say something? I mean, we're not hiding anything from anyone." Laura gave him a look.

"And we appreciate that, Ross. We're just concerned that's all, are you guys doing okay with the attention? Obviously unwanted, you hadn't come out as a couple, right?" Kevin spoke softly, broaching the somewhat sensitive topic.

He shrugged, having prepared himself to face the music. Pictures of their little outing had blown up on the internet and now everyone knew. Ross was actually relieved. This way he didn't have to sneak around or hide anything. Laura hadn't been quite as convinced, but she was slowly coming around. "Yeah, it's not like we were keeping it a secret, we just didn't think it was anyone else's business."

"I get it, Ross. We're not coming after you or anything. You're both adults. You're free to be with anyone you want to be with."

"Yeah, we know. Are talks with your kids this awkward?" Ross asked petulantly, drawing another stern look from Laura. He crossed his arms while she just stared at the ground. He had increasingly become more displeased with people telling him how he had to be, who he was, what he could do.

"It won't affect the work, if that's what you're worried about," she interjected softly. She was embarrassed, her face beet red. She hated disappointing people, and even though this wasn't a disappointment, she felt like she'd done something wrong.

"No, we're not worried about that. You guys always do a great job. And I promise, we're not worried about you, but we've seen it all. We just don't want some of the same things we've seen happen to you."

"I don't think you have to worry about that either," Ross stated confidently.

"Well, as a warning, the lack of privacy puts a lot of pressure on people. _Austin and Ally _is going to be a closed set for the remainder of the show, which is only two weeks, but we don't want any unneeded issues with the media," Heath stated.

Laura nodded meekly.

Another knock sounded as one of their PAs popped her head into the room. "Laura, we need you in hair."

"Sure, thanks." She gave a quick glance at Ross before leaving. "See you all later."

"Laura, heard about the audition, awesome job!" Heath congratulated.

She turned and bashfully looked at Ross. "Oh, umm, yeah, thanks." Ross gave her a quizzical look before she darted out the door. What audition?

"Look Ross, I know you don't want to hear this. And we know, we have no bearing on your life decisions, but like I said, we've seen stuff go down," Kevin hedged.

Heath added, "She's a good one, Ross. You know that. I don't want to see either of you hurt."

"Are you implying that I'll hurt her?" he asked, a little wounded.

"No, but I think she's more fragile than you think she is. We get it, you guys obviously care a lot for each other."

"We do," Ross smiled, it should be clear to everyone else how they felt about each other.

"The way you guys look at each other, there's a reason why the chemistry has always worked. But you need to know how much she is willing to give up for you."

"I know. I'm willing to do the same."

"We don't want to see anything to happen to either of you. We're not telling you this stuff in vain, the show is almost over, we only have a few more episodes to shoot. We're telling you this stuff because we care."

"Especially seeing the road people can go down. Look, you're talented, you're blowing up right now, you are going to have a long career, but there are going to be a lot of obstacles," Heath warned.

Kevin continued advising, "People will always be around you, telling you you're a big star and you're the best and whatever. You keep your family close, don't push them away, they have your best interest at heart. You be wary of anyone who comes in and tries to change you. Keep your head clear and your nose clean, man. We want you and Laura to succeed in the long run, but you have to work at it. It's going to be a tough road, and there will be people out to get you both. This business is rough, don't let yourself become a statistic. Protect each other, be there for each other."

He thought about what they said. He'd heard it a million times.

"See you later. Good job today, man." The three men stood up as Kevin gave Ross a pat on the back.

"You know we're proud of you both, and we wish you both happiness and whatever it is you want in this world. Don't take this as us criticizing you or trying to knock you down."

"I know. I appreciate it."

"See you, Ross." The two walked out the door and he soon followed, thinking about their words of wisdom. He knew it came from a good place. He walked through the set. People were busy hustling around, setting up the shot. Soon it would all be over, the studio would be empty, the sets would be torn down. This had been a big part of his formative years, and it was coming to an end. He had been happy about it, wanting to expand his horizons, focus more on music, but seeing it like it was felt bittersweet. Everything was about to change.

It's funny how life worked. Just when you thought you wanted something, you learned that maybe you actually wanted things to stay the same.

He walked into their hair and makeup room and stood at the doorway, admiring the way her reflection shone in the vanity. Their glam team bustled around her, spraying and teasing her hair, laughing as they cracked jokes. He'd miss this.

He knew this had been the opportunity of a lifetime. One with people who were unparalleled in the way they gave and cared and loved. He would miss everyone. He would miss seeing her everyday, sitting in her makeup chair. She caught his eyes in the mirror and gave him a sad smile. She was likely thinking the same thing he was. It was eerie how their minds sometimes felt like one.

He hated how no one was giving them a chance. There was a lot of fan support, but then a lot of haters at the same time, predicting and anxiously awaiting their demise. It felt like no one believed in them. No one knew what was said and done behind closed doors, no one knew their relationship. He loved her. She loved him. It was simple.

Often times when he was alone with her, he wanted to sweep her away and take her far, to somewhere that was just theirs. He tried to escape privately with her any chance he could get. Away from their family and friends, away from the prying eyes of the public. There would be no expectation, no pressure from anything. He could protect her. And they could just be together as it was meant to be.

* * *

_A/N: Questions? Concerns? Feelings? Review! And re-reading Everlong yesterday (I sometimes forget what I've written), how were more of you not pissed at that ending? I was kind of pissed, and I wrote the damn thing. I promise I won't do the Epilogue thing in this one, you have my word. _


End file.
